Are Drew League players basketball professionals? How much do they earn?
The Drew League is a pro-am basketball league held every summer in Los Angeles, California. Established in 1973, the league has grown in popularity over the years, with NBA players regularly participating in its games. It is not necessary that players participating in the league need not have to be NBA players, but several high-profile high schools, college, and professional players participating in the games. It once again gained some hype after NBA megastars like LeBron James and DeMar DeRozan played in the league last weekend.
Last summer, the Drew League returned after it was canceled in 2020 following the hiatus caused by Covid-19 pandemic. The competition, however, took place at a different location, St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California, and started in late June. This year, the league has returned to King/Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science with 20 competing teams.
With limited crowd capacity, The Drew league has attracted over 20,000 players ever, including some of the big names like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, James Harden, etc. since it began in 1973. The popular basketball video game NBA Live 18 also featured the Drew League in 2017.
And as for the 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.
How did the Drew League come to existence?
The Drew League began way back in 1973. Alvin Wills, who worked at Charles R. Drew Middle School, founded the Drew League, starting with six teams. Ever since then, the league has garnered so much popularity over the years, regularly featuring NBA players and stars.
The league grew especially popular over the 1980s, with several high-profile high schools, colleges, and professional players taking part in the games. The average attendance in the league per game went up to 800 during that time. Even some players from different foreign countries like China, Germany, Japan, France, Italy, and Spain have competed in the Drew League.
To accommodate the increased attendance, the Drew League relocated from the Leon H. Washington Park gym to King/Drew Magnet High School in 2012. In 2013, Nike began sponsoring the league.
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