Key Takeaways
- Drew League commissioner Dino Smiley has seen several legends take the court in LA over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant.
- Smiley sat down with RG and discussed the development of the league, Kobe's game-winner in 2011, the possibility of Bronny James playing this weekend, and more.
- The Drew League is a religion in Los Angeles, and Smiley reflected on some of his best memories.
LeBron with Bronny (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Every week, Mark Medina shares his thoughts and insights on the latest NBA topics for RG. In this installment, Medina has an extensive Q&A with Drew League Commissioner Dino Smiley.
Through most of its 52-year history, the Drew League manages an exciting and unknown question nearly every week.
Which NBA stars will show up? The Drew League, a pro-am summer league based in Los Angeles that features college, G League, and overseas players, often features NBA players either making cameo appearances in a game or on the sideline.
During the 2011 NBA lockout, the late Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant made surprise appearances. In most years, DeMar DeRozan, James Harden, and Baron Davis played regularly after growing up in different parts of LA.
All of which made for fun surprises, competitive matchups, and memorable stories. Dino Smiley, the Drew League Commissioner, went down memory lane for an extensive Q&A and gave the latest on who might show up before the playoffs start on August 2.
Editor’s note: The following one-on-one interview has been edited and condensed.
Which NBA players have gone to the Drew League so far this summer?
Smiley: “DeMar DeRozan was a guest speaker at the kids’ clinic last Saturday. Then he came back on Sunday. His team won the championship last year, but he hasn’t played yet this year. But his team was playing on Sunday. So he came and hung out with Casper Ware and the ‘Cheaters’ team that won it. Jaren Jackson Jr. also came last week to watch. He was supposed to play, but he has an injury with his foot and he couldn’t play.”
What were the highlights of DeMar’s clinic?
Smiley: “We had about 50 kids there. They had a Q&A. DeMar talked about growing up in Compton and what inspired him. They asked him who was his basketball hero. His home and inspiration was Kobe [Byant]. He emulated himself after Kobe. Kobe wasn’t just a great player. He had other things that he wanted to accomplish with working with kids. So that’s what he’s following.”
What has DeMar done for the Drew given his roots and how often he’s there every year?
Smiley: “He’s being there and making himself available for the kids at special events. He’s being natural. He’s not being standoffish. He shows up to games unannounced and comes in and sits down. Kids flock to him. We love having him at the Drew.”
What did it mean for DeMar to be part of the championship-winning team last year?
Smiley: “A lot. They were down by 24 points in the fourth quarter, and he brought them back. He had never won a ‘Drew League’ championship, and he had been playing since he was 15. In the NBA, fans will say, ‘You don’t have a ring.’ In the city, it’s the same thing. They say, ‘You don’t have a Drew League championship.’ So he got it. I think he may not play this year because he’s thinking, ‘I finally did it.’ But you never know. If he’s going to play, he has to play this weekend. He can’t play in the playoffs.”
How do the rules work for the NBA guys?
Smiley: “What we do with the NBA rules is first we had a rule that you had to play a minimum of three games to be eligible for the playoffs. About 10 years ago, we said, ‘If you just play a game, that gives you eligibility for the playoffs.’ So we always knew NBA guys would start showing up that last weekend of the season. So we may have a whole circus coming down. I’m not sure. But since Summer League is over and we’re the last one standing, we may get some more players coming this weekend. We’ll have games on Saturday and Sunday (11 am at King Drew High School). We have two women games and four men’s games.”
What’s the early buzz on which NBA players might show up this weekend?
"I’ve heard Bronny [James], but nothing clear on that yet. I heard Bronny might play. But nothing concrete. Earlier in the summer, there was talk about Dalton Knecht and Cam Christie playing.”
If it happens, what would it mean to have Bronny in a Drew League game?
Smiley: “I think it would great. It would be interesting to see how he matches up with these guys. It would be interesting to see. Since his dad played a couple of times down here, who knows, maybe he’ll pop up there with him this weekend (laughs).”
How do you compare the buzz between when LeBron played in 2022 and when Kobe played in 2011 during the lockout?
Smiley: “In 2022, there was a bigger facility at King Drew. The crowd was bigger and there was more seating. There was the same impact with everyone wanting to see LeBron. But I don’t think anything will ever compare to Kobe’s visit to Washington Park at the Drew League. He was a Laker from the beginning. LeBron is there. But is he going to stay? You never know. Kobe was always here [with the Lakers]. He didn’t have to be pulled out to play. He wanted to play. The one with LeBron, it just happened that DeMar’s team was playing. They were at a program. He asked DeMar, ‘Where are you going to work out at?’ He said, ‘I got a game at the Drew.’ He asked, “Do you think I can play?’ That’s how things happened with LeBron and DeMar. But they were both epic moments. We appreciated what both of them did.”
What epic moments stick with you during LeBron’s game?
Smiley: “We knew he was coming. But it was one of those things that you wouldn’t believe it until he took the court. He was in the locker room a long time getting taped and getting prepared. The teams were already on the floor. LeBron is a specimen. When you see him as a basketball player, you see his size. He was having a good time during warmups speaking to the people in the corner. Corey Maggette came up Draymond Green was there. It was a different Saturday afternoon.”
LeBron had already helped the Lakers win the 2020 title in the bubble. But to what extent did you see his Drew League appearance help cement a stronger bond with LA fans?
Smiley: “They’re holding onto more moments. They don’t just want one. They don’t think one is enough. If he can pull another one off with Luka [Dončić], that would help solidify it. But LeBron was great. Fans were taking pictures. He went out to his SUV. People tapped on the glass. Usually guys don’t open up when they tap on the glass. But he stuck his head out and took selfies with the fans. He’s a real, nice guy. He stayed in the locker room and took pictures with people.
He wasn’t standoffish. That’s the main thing that we have with the Drew League. If you come down there, you have to blend in with the community. You can’t be standoffish. They’ll pick it up right away. The majority of the people there are not going to a Lakers or Clippers game. That doesn’t usually happen. You’re also not coming down there to lollygag. You’re coming down there to work on your game. There is some competition there and other NBA players are there. If you’re coming there, just respect the facility. We’ve been here before you were born. That’s to all NBA guys. KD was very good when he came down. LeBron didn’t disappoint us at all.”
Kobe produced a lot of excitement with his Drew League game because he’s Kobe, he’s a Laker and he hit a game-winner over James Harden. But what else sticks with you before, during and after Kobe’s appearance?
What fan interactions did you witness?
Smiley: “Somebody asked him, ‘Who’s the top player of all time?’ That’s when he counted on his fingers. He said, ‘Wilt [Chamberlain], me and then Mike [Jordan].’ The crowd was talking and lighting him up. There was some good light-hearted interaction with that. I was right there. It was near the scorer’s table. At that time, I thought he was probably right. He still had a few more years left in the league. Me personally, I like Wilt but I probably would’ve put Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] in that slot. That was my thought process.”
What did you see from Kobe’s game-winner and the aftermath?
Smiley: “Maybe we only feel this way. But I think my play-by-play announcer [George Preciado] needs to be in the NBA. He’s the best play-by-play announcer, especially for summer basketball. He patterns himself after Chick Hearn. The way he counted that down, it was perfect. Earlier, I had to go and open the room again. Once the game was over, security wanted to rush Kobe to that room and not fiddle with the locks. So I cracked the door open. But after Kobe hit the shot, he wasn’t rushing out. He put his arms up in the air. He let the kids run into his chest.
Before that moment, I said to myself, ‘I know he’s not going to hit this shot. There’s no way we’re going to see this. When he did that and turned on James, James picked him up high. James didn’t back down. He went at him. But Kobe still made it.”
Why were you skeptical that you’d see a Kobe moment considering you’ve seen so many of them?
Smiley: “Well, I felt like, ‘Are we really deserving of this moment?’ We’ve seen this all across the globe take place. That was the greatest moment in Drew League history in 52 seasons.”
How did the KD and LeBron cameos during the 2011 lockout compare?
Smiley: “KD was the first one to arrive and play. It was unannounced. Social media wasn’t as big back then. He just went to the Drew League. He came through the backdoor with no entourage and no security. He just came right on in and got on Game’s team. When KD threw the ball off the backboard and rammed it, that sent numbers everywhere. He was excited. He’s the only one we ever let play twice in the same day. We were like, ‘You’re All-NBA. If you want to play again, come on.’ So he had a good time.
Then the following week, ‘the Cheaters’ were playing. That team is affiliated with Baron Davis. He called me and told me, ‘Don’t start the game yet; I got a surprise.” I said, ‘Baron, we got seven games today. This is game four coming up. We can’t hold off too long.’ He said, ‘Give me a few minutes.’ Then LeBron came. A few big SUVs pulled in front of the park. There was already a crowd. He originally just came to watch. But then he asked, ‘Can I play?’ I said, ‘Of course you can play!’ I took him in the back and got him a uniform. He enjoyed it and played well.”
And do I understand correctly that paved the way for Kobe to want to come?
Smiley: “Yeah, Kobe’s reps had reached out and said, ‘Kobe wants to know if he can play.’ I said, ‘The only thing we have coming up is the playoffs. He hasn’t played a game. He can’t play in the playoffs.’ So we tried to figure out a way to make this happen. Then we realized that on Tuesday that we had a scrimmage. So we turned it into a real game before heading out to play the Goodman League on Thursday. So all the NBA guys were there. We had enough to split teams up. We contacted his reps and said, ‘We got a game that he can play in. But it’s a real game and people are going to go after him. If he wants to do it, it’ll be Tuesday night.’ So they called back and said he’ll be there. A lot of times you’re nervous to ask people to sign things. But he was like, ‘Sure, whatever you got, leave it right here.’ He signed about seven pieces of merchandise. He was great.”
What has Harden meant to the Drew League?
Smiley: “In his earlier years, he meant quite a bit. But the last few years, he doesn’t really come around anymore. He doesn’t really support it as he was at first. That’s why DeMar is what we call ‘the face of the Drew League.’”
Even with being him back in LA with the Clippers?
Smiley: “No, we had more interaction with Norman Powell. I hated to see Norman go [get traded to Miami]. But that’s okay. That’s his choosing.”
How does that register with you?
Smiley: “I understand it. But to me, during that lockout season, he really helped us. But I thought we really helped him, too. Before that, summer basketball was just summer basketball. Then we had those mega games against the Goodman League. James was right there. During that time, he wasn’t a starter for OKC. We helped him put him on that pedestal.”
Interesting point, because once Chris Paul was traded to Houston, they actually played together first in the Drew League.
Smiley: “You’re right. Daryl Morey was sitting courtside at King-Drew to see them play. It was great. They played very well together and fed off each other. Management looked happy. CP3 was happy, and did a video showing him on his way going to Drew and how he was looking forward toward playing.
The other matchup everyone wanted to see was when Klay Thompson played James in 2014 when they were two of the top two guards in the league. It was packed. They matched up and were going at it. They were clearing it. There was no double teaming. There was no trapping.
They played hard. But the floor got slippery. They slipped a couple of times, so we shut it off. We didn’t want to get anybody hurt. They weren’t going to slow down. So we had to pull them off each other.”
