For nearly 40 years, the Drew League has been a summer tradition in Southern California. Started back in 1973 by Alvin Wills, it’s more than just a basketball league. It’s where streetball legends, local stars, overseas players, and even NBA big names come together just for the love of the game. Players like LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan, Brandon Jennings, and Paul George have all played here. Their games brought real energy and excitement to the courts. But if you ask most fans, one visit stands out above the rest: the late Kobe Bryant’s unforgettable appearance.
Back in 2011, the NBA was in the middle of a lockout, which meant no games or official basketball activities were happening. The lockout was caused by disagreements between players and owners over salaries and revenue sharing. And how did the late legend use this opportunity? Well, he used the time trying to look for avenues to branch out! Reports show he seriously considered playing overseas and even talked to Virtus Bologna, a top Italian team. The deal promised him about three million dollars for just ten games! However, the move never materialized. Instead, Kobe ended up playing at the Drew League, a moment that recently resurfaced and caught everyone’s attention again.
Recently, Chaniel Smiley, the Drew League commissioner, appeared on the Go Get Pod with Mike Robinson and Marshawn Lynch. The conversation naturally turned to the 2011 lockout, which brought many stars to the Drew League. Smiley recalled having to reject Kobe Bryant back then. “So there was a time when we had to tell Kobe he couldn’t play,” she recalled. Surprisingly, it wasn’t about his star power or impact but about keeping the league’s integrity intact. “So we pride ourselves with integrity,” She claimed. “He wanted to jump on a team. And we was like, we can’t do that. So we was like, we got to put a special game for him. So we did.” Smiley explained that everyone had to follow the same rules, including paying to play and participating in the full season. Meaning Kobe couldn’t just jump in during the semifinals.
Instead of Kobe joining a team mid-playoffs, the league created a special practice game just for him. This game featured players like Darrell Wright, Corey McGee, Brandon Jennings, and even James Harden on the opposite side. Smiley recalled the atmosphere, saying, “It was a drooly game, but it didn’t count. It was just a game. And the hood was on fire that day.” People were selling parking spots and signs for small amounts. The game didn’t count in standings, but became legendary because it featured Kobe hitting a jumper over Harden. That moment remains etched in fans’ hearts, a reminder of Kobe bending the rules to keep playing the game he loved.
Who would have thought Kobe had to follow such strict rules in an amateur league? It just shows how much respect the Drew League has for fairness, even when stars are involved.
How DeRozan recalled the Kobe Bryant experience
It’s been more than a decade since Kobe Bryant lit up the Drew League, but the stories just keep coming. A couple of years back, DeMar DeRozan went on Iman Shumpert’s Iman Amongst Men podcast and shared what he called his favorite memory from the league, and no surprise, it was a Kobe moment. “Probably, by far, my favorite because it was so unexpected,” DeRozan said. “Nobody knew he was gonna come out and play. He go out there, have 45 and hit the game-winning shot.”
That iconic shot came during the 2011 NBA lockout, a summer when pro stars filled community gyms just to keep playing. The scene? Colonel Leon H. Washington Park in LA. A tight crowd, a small gym, and big names: Kobe Bryant, DeRozan, James Harden, Paul George, Nick Young, and more. Kobe and Harden went back and forth, each refusing to back down.
Harden may have dropped 47 to Kobe’s 44, but the final moment belonged to the Black Mamba. And it wasn’t just the points that made it legendary. As DeRozan recalled, the police tried to escort Kobe out before the game ended. “He was like, ‘I’m not going nowhere. I’m gonna finish the game,’” DeRozan shared. That defiance is just classic Kobe, but it also shows how he took the community engagements seriously. And for his fans, he made sure to deliver a stellar performance!
James Harden even told the same story on Jimmy Kimmel Live years earlier. “It was the lockout, summertime. Washington Park, packed little small gym. Little kids play there. I got 50 points. I think he had like 40, but he hit the game winner.” That gym may have been small, but in that moment, it felt like the center of the basketball universe.
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