From the playground to the proving ground, the Drew League is THE showcase for Los Angeles’ finest.

Although many refer to the Drew League as the ‘Rucker of the West Coast,’ Oris ‘Dino’ Smiley sees it a bit differently.

In fact, he asserts that Rucker is the Drew of the east coast. He’s been involved with Drew since the age of 13 when he attended Charles Drew Junior High—home to the Drew League since its inception.

“Back then, I used to climb a ladder to keep score up on a chalkboard while someone ran the clock below,” Dino recalls.

Since that time, Drew has come a long way. Those in the know have come to recognize it as the most prominent pro-am showcase in Los Angeles.

Back in 1973, league founder Alvin Willis started Drew as a neighborhood run, a place to showcase the best on the block. He eventually handed the reigns over to Smiley. And that’s when things really took off.

Dino recounts, “At that time, Joe Weekly’s Crenshaw League was the big one on the Westside. All of a sudden, those players started to migrate over to Drew. At the same time, Drew officials were making it into the pros. Eyes were starting to open.”

During the last 20 years, Drew has seen some of LA’s most talented players rise through its ranks. We’re talkin’ the legendary Ray Lewis. Freeman Williams. Byron Scott. Michael Cooper. Paul Pierce. More recently, one of Denver’s star point guards was seen out on the Drew courts. Two of its players were just drafted into the pros by New Jersey.

And what about LA’s legendary blacktop ballers? “Drew is a mixture of streetball and pro ball,” Dino points out. Playground legends regularly share the courts with pro hoopers. It just can’t get any tougher.

And with the best ballers from the pros, college, and the blacktops, Drew offers fans the rare opportunity to see every side of LA hoops in the most intimate setting—a middle school gymnasium.

Sure, games only take place during the summer months. But tales from the Drew League last all year long. Just ask Dino Smiley. Just ask any serious baller from Los Angeles to Rucker Park.