What is the much-talked-about Drew League?
The Drew League is a professional-amateur summer basketball league in Los Angeles. Los Angeles native Dino Smiley is the commissioner of the league, which plays its games on Saturdays and Sundays, and the slogan is “No excuse. Just produce.”
Alvin Lewis founded the league in 1973 “for young men and women out of South Central Los Angeles to learn life lessons via basketball,” according to the Drew League website. “There’s no bowling alleys, no malls, no movie theatre, so every night we’d be in the gym,” Lewis said.
Teams are comprised of high-level amateurs who have some college experience or are just great rec-league players. Also, professionals, including NBA players, participate in the famous league. In 1990, Ed Reed (not the NFL player) set a league record with 64 points. Former Los Angeles prep star and Drew League legend Casper Ware Sr. scored a championship-high 47 points in 1987, while NBA superstars such as LeBron James and DeMar DeRozan have also taken part in it previously.
In fact, more than 100 NBA players such as the likes of Kobe Bryant, James Harden, Chris Paul, Paul George, Paul Pierce, Trae Young, John Wall, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant have played in the Drew League. They could take part as the NBA is known to allow its players to participate in the Drew League and other pro-am leagues around the country.
As for their remuneration, Drew League player salaries are segregated into ranges.
There are currently three salary levels for Drew League players. At the highest level are the ‘A’ players, who make about $25,000 per year. The “B” players, who are second on the tier list, are paid about $19,000, and finally, the “C” players are paid about $13,000.
The league’s growing popularity continues to be on the rise with high-profile NBA professionals taking part in it, as well as sports manufacturing giants such as Nike sponsoring the league as well as athletes.
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