Last minute participant and brilliant for his return to the courts, LeBron James offered a spotlight to the Drew League last night. Focus on the origins of the famous summer basketball competition in Los Angeles.
For those who follow the NBA on a daily basis during the year, the heart of summer is a particularly difficult time to live. The Free Agency is often well underway or almost finished, the Summer League allows you to see some rookies in action but we are still far from the quality of the matches of the Great League. Fortunately for the fans, another competition is bringing a bit of hype to the orange ball landscape: the Drew League. But what exactly are we talking about?
Founded in 1973 by Alvin Willis, the Drew League is a competition that originated at Charles Drew Junior High School in Los Angeles.. Far from the notoriety it enjoys today, the League aims above all to be local. The objective: to help young people to forge links through sport in order to promote neighborhood life, but also to create an institution that would attract the best local players from high schools, universities and professional clubs. If the Drew League wants to be social and educational, it also aims to create entertainment. As Alvin Willis himself said, activities were limited for young people, so basketball had a central place in terms of entertainment. Comments relayed by the official website of the Drew League.
“There was no bowling alley, no shopping center, no cinema. So every night, we were in the gym. »
Very quickly, the concept worked and many players from the surrounding area wanted to join the young local league. From 6 teams in 1973, we go to 10 teams in 1985, when Alvin Willis decides to take a step back to let his friend and protege Dino Smiley take over the management of the Drew League (he is still the boss in 2022) . The competition, which is intended to be more friendly than anything else, is above all an opportunity to throw highlights galore in front of an audience almost glued to the field and ready to explode with each action. In uniform, no-names, street ballers but also NBA players! Attracted by the concept, more and more stars have taken to making an appearance at the Drew League, whether to keep in shape (as for example during the lockout in 2011) or to compete to some of their peers. We cite a few among others: Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan, James Harden, Paul Pierce, Chris Paul, Trae Young… For the Sunday players they face, it’s obviously a moment once in a lifetime. Who can say that he has just finished a match against LBJ or KD? Not the worst experience in the world even taking a few shots or dunks on the head.
The success of the League meant that it had to move to larger halls (Charles Drew from 1973 to 2005 then Washington Park until 2011 and finally King Drew High School to this day) to be able to gain capacity to welcome but the concept, the proximity to the public, the playground atmosphere remains the same. Brands are fighting to be in a good place (Nike then now Adidas), stars put on a show and wake up social networks, but the principle of the League has not aged an inch for almost 50 years: help young people and the community through sport but also support and mentoring programs. This is why the Drew League decided to create a foundation in 2009, so that the basic objective of Alvin Willis can endure. Basketball and the show are in the foreground but there is always more important behind.
The Drew League has been around for nearly five decades and its popularity has not waned. By attracting LeBron James or even DeMar DeRozan, the summer league continues to prove that it remains a key summer event for orange ball fans. Who will be the next to come to the show?
Source texte : drewleague.com
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