The Drew Effect | 45 Years Strong / June 1, 2018 by Hussein Abdullahi

The History runs deep for LA’s Drew League, In its 45th year The Drew has been home to perennial NBA stars such as Nick Young, James Harden, Javale McGee, and Demar DeRozan. Back in 1973, Alvin Willis had a vision he brought to the community of South Central Los Angeles. Alvin had high hopes for the Youths of LA; his objective was to create a platform that would attract the top HS players, College, and Pro's back to the community. In the span of a decade Alvin and Dino transformed the Drew League from a top tier Pro-Am in North America to a top Pro-am in the world. 40 years ago, nobody envisioned that a 6-team league would become the epicentre for Southern California hoops. On Saturday June 2, over 350 athletes will grace the hardwood for the opening weekend of the Drew. This season 26 teams will compete for LA supremacy; the highly anticipated Pro-am will feature Reigning Champs Birdies Revenge led by MVP Franklin “Nitty” Sessions. The summer hoop scene in LA never seems to fail their expectations; The Drew will provide high-level competition in stellar fashion.

This year's divisions will be named after brother’s Jonathan and Christopher Baxter, who've been former player’s of the drew. Unfortunately their lives were taken by a fatal car accident back in November of 2017; rest in paradise. Father Kenneth Baxter strives to make an impact this summer as he leans of his Drew League family, He Mourns alongside with 350 plus players who were friends, competitors, and peers of Chris and John. This summer all participants of the Drew are looking forward of keeping Christopher & Jonathan’s legacies alive. No Excuse Just Produce.

“You Know Chris and John loved playing in the Drew, they grew up in this league. That was their grind!”

— Kenneth Baxter

Each Division will include 13 teams that will compete against each, The JB division features both Hometown Favourites and Birdies Revenge; we will witness a rematch of last year championship during the regular season. In the CB division we got BB4L led by Casper Ware, and Van Girard. M.H.P. includes Nick "Swaggy P" Young and NBA All-star Demar DeRozan. It's an exciting time for Southern California, Musically, Entertainment, and Athletically; there's no place you'd rather be at. Less the 72 hours until the opening weekend kicks off at the Drew, let's continue to shift the culture of basketball on the west coast. It's been a blessing for the LA community to have sustained a reputable Pro-Am for over 40 year, 45 years to be exact. Dino and his team have high hopes for the Drew going forward as they look to witness another 45 years here in South Central, LA.

“If your a hooper, you love the essence of street ball. It’s just somewhere that represents where we come from. The Drew League represents where we come from. The struggle, the pain, just wanting to be sum.”

— Tracy Mills (2017 Drew League Coach of The Year)

With national media attention around the Drew last summer, Complex decided to take a trip to LA and see what the fuss was about. The Drew never failed to provide great entertainment to the good people at Complex. Complex had the opportunity to capture various defining moments at the Drew, catching up with NBA stars, basketball icons, and more. Complex shared their Drew experience for the world to see if hopes of shedding light on the new aged basketball culture. Check out the dope video below. Be sure to come out and watch the world's #1 Pro-Am this weekend at King Drew High School; No Excuse. Just Produce.

“Kids get to see a little bit of success, great basketball, NBA players, top College players. In the hood you don’t got that man, so I’m glad Nike helped bring this together and made it into what it is today.”

— Franklin "Nitty" Session (Drew League MVP)

Thanks: @Drewleague, @Nikelosangeles, @complex

Event: 45th Annual Drew League

Sponsored by: Nike

Powered by: Body Armour, Monster, Time Warner Cable

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDhmqBrfzsc&t=79s

Bio Steel All-Canadian Game | Future Stars / April 11, 2018 by Hussein Abdullahi

The Goldring High Performance Centre was home to the 4th annual Bio Steel All-Canadian High School game. This game was comprised of the top 24 prospects throughout Canadian, including 4 NCAA Division I Commits: Luguentz Dort, Jonathan Kabongo, Daniel Sackey, and Noah Kirkwood. The game received national media coverage; as it headlined the #2 prospect in the 2018 class Luguentz Dort. Luguentz graced the audience with his presence and stellar play. It’s been no surprise that he was named the game’s MVP for the second time, leading all scores with a game-high 34 points. Next fall the Quebec native will attend Arizona State University where he will suit up for legendary Bobby Hurley Jr. Luguentz led Bio Steel Team White to a 147-131 victory.

“I remember watching Andrew when he was high school and I was really young... he was one of my favourite players and to watch him where he’s at now is real nice”

— Luguentz Dort

Team white dominated the hardwood all night, and at the forefront of their operation was Brock University's Coach Charles Kissi. Coach Kissi and his staff preached the importance of playing together to his squad. Team White attributes their success to their teammates and their willingness to share the ball. What made this so organic and unique was the ability for each player to recognized the advantage that they've imposed with being unselfish on the offensive end. It's very rare to witness something like this especially in an all-star game, to have the whole starting line up in double figures is great, but to have 7 out-of- 10 players' score in double figures is a reflection of their coaches! I like to witness different players utilizing their skills and creativity to contribute to the team success, and I strongly believe that Team White illustrated that on Monday night.

“We’re going to continue to develop Canadian talent going forward, and we got to continue to work together to add value”

— Charles Kissi

Quebec native Quincy Guerrier led Team Red with 19 points on 8/10 shooting. His supporting efforts weren’t enough to close the gap for Team Red. Quincy also received MVP honors joining 2-time MVP Luguentz Dort; He will be a player to keep an eye out for in the near future. Three starters finished in double figures for Team Red, one sole contributor being Daniel Sackey. Daniel has a unique story that he shared this weekend, he comes from Manitoba and has a lot to prove to the naysayers. On Sunday night he was name the Bio Steel Dunk off Champion, which he used to propel him into the game Monday night where he poured in 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in 20 minutes of play. It was great to see him utilize this platform to showcase what he’s all about, not to mention developing newfound notoriety on the hardwood. Ultimately, the determining factor is this game was the cohesive effort of Team White; they were connecting on all cylinders, which provide a widening gap in the 2nd half of play. This birthed new life for Coach Kissi and his squad.

“It’s honestly a blessing to be able to win this award, it’s just a great feeling!”

— Quincy Guerrier

The future for Canada Basketball is definitely heading in the right direction, with the emergence of its national programs we can begin to witness the dawn of a new age. Over the years Canada hasn’t been recognized as a dominant force in international play, but because of the development of it's top prospects, this has left a profound imprint on the culture of Canadian Basketball. It's a defining moment for the country as a whole and its great to see the endowment of Canada Basketball, and it will continue to leave it lasting legacy for many years to come. These crops of prospects are solely the future for our generation and shall continue to flourish at the next level, whether it's in their homeland or across the boarder. History shall repeat itself.

“Canada Basketball has been developing over the years and still scratching the surface in terms of the potential for their programs.”

— Jack Armstrong

Event: Bio Steel All-Canadian Classic

Special Thanks: Canada Basketball, Bio-Steel All-Canadian, Benji Agbeke (@benji Agbeke)