Forty is the new twenty in this league for seasoned hoopers.

In only its second year of existence, word is getting out about the Seasoned Vets. A league for ballers 40 and over. A celebration of the unmatched depth of talent in Los Angeles and its rich basketball heritage.

The roots of LA hoops run deep in parks from South Central all the way up to Hollywood. Seasoned Vets celebrates the tall-tales that arose from these courts. The double overtimes. The three-pointers at the buzzer. Ray Lewis’s epic 60-point games.

League founder Dino Smiley had no idea things would blow up so quickly. Seasoned Vets already has 16 teams consisting of some of the greatest players to grace the Los Angeles blacktops over the last forty years.

Smiley points out, “The oldest guy in our league is 61 years old. We also have a 59 year old and a bunch 50 year olds.” Dino describes the league with an air of respect and amazement, “The teams are made up of former pros and a lot of guys who played in college and overseas. We’re getting Larry Spriggs, who won a championship with Magic. DC’s John Williams. Hank Johnson, who was the LA City player of the year in 1977.”

For students of the game, Seasoned Vets offers an opportunity to see how the game was played back in the day. “We run a lot more fundamentals. The old style of ball. A lot of cutting. More ball movement. Less one-on-one. We’re still waiting for our first dunk.”

LA ballers never leave the game, and ‘Vets’ is a place where older players can relive the glory days with hoopers who were there. Games run from October to January starting at 10am. Come down and show respect to the players who helped put LA basketball on the map.