The Drew League is a summer staple in Los Angeles, as the pro-am league often brings out some of the best hoopers on the West Coast for some incredible battles. This includes NBA players, too, as the likes of LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan, Kyrie Irving, and many others have appeared in the tournament.
The most iconic Drew League appearance will always go to Kobe Bryant. DeRozan reflected on his favorite Kobe moments from the Drew League, with the Bulls star telling a story of Kobe hitting a game-winner and finishing a matchup even after the police asked him to leave for his own safety.
“A Kobe moment, probably because it was so unexpected. Nobody knew. For him to come out there and play, get 45, hit the game-winning shot. What’s crazy about the game was that we were hooping, me, James (Harden), but Kobe going back and forth. There are three minutes left in the game and the police came to Kobe like, ‘Let’s get you out of here before the game is over’. He said, ‘I’m going nowhere, I will finish the game.’ He finished the game, hit the game-winner, and stood in the middle of the court. Like Jesus.”
DeMar DeRozan talks about Kobe’s game-winner at the Drew League. 🔥🐍
(via @uninterrupted)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) July 25, 2023
DeMar has previously spoken about Kobe at the Drew. It’s clear there’s a lot of admiration by DDR towards the Black Mamba. We don’t have any more superstars that spread the love of the game like Kobe did as the league fraternity continues to cope with his absence.
DeMar DeRozan Entering An Uncertain Season
The future for DeRozan is extremely ambiguous right now, as the Bulls star is a free agent at the end of the season. He’s proven his worth as one of the best mid-range scorers in the league, but can he employ his arsenal as the second or third-best star in a winning situation?
The Bulls didn’t make the playoffs last season and were thrashed out of the first round in 2022. The Zach LaVine and DeRozan duo is under scrutiny and likely cannot be a winning duo in the league.
DeRozan averaged 24.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.1 assists last season. Teams around the league will likely have interest in acquiring the six-time All-Star in a trade, but the Bulls can’t expect a big return. The franchise may extend him after the extension they handed to Nikola Vucevic, with LaVine under contract for a long time anyway.
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