LeBron James’s appearance at the Drew League generated interest in the league that was last seen in 2011 when NBA players came to play here during the NBA lockout. LBJ is the biggest name in basketball today, so his involvement got the Drew League national media attention through extensive coverage on ESPN.
As with everything LeBron does, there was a large crowd of naysayers trying to diminish him for participating in the league. Many made jokes about how LeBron is playing here because the NBA is getting too hard, with people pointing to his shooting numbers as their biggest argument.
Draymond Green has been a vocal supporter of LeBron and has rushed to the defense of the King again, emphasizing the impact he had on the Drew League and how he changed the lives of many kids in that gym that would not get to see him play unless they were at an NBA game.
Draymond Green on the impact of LeBron James playing in the Drew League:
💯 (via @TheVolumeSports) pic.twitter.com/mgi10WYgH7
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 22, 2022
Draymond is always quick to defend LeBron, but he is bang on the money here. There is nothing negative that should be said about a global superstar like LeBron going and playing in one of the most famous pro-am leagues in the nation. The Drew League is the West Coast equivalent of Rucker Park, so LeBron had to play here as a Laker and an LA resident.
LBJ’s career is winding down, so not many people are going to have a chance to see him play live in the future. There were kids that came to the Drew League that got to see him in action, and there were players in that game whose careers had a spotlight shone on them as they took the floor either alongside LeBron or against him.
LeBron played alongside DeMar DeRozan as his team eked out a 2-point win, with LeBron having a 42-point performance. He had a poor shooting night, but he still dominated the game.
