The Drew League vs. Goodman League showdown delivered: pregame hype, demand for tickets, including plenty of those who had ones in hand but didn’t get into a packed house at Trinity University and a highlight show on the court starring Kevin Durant, John Wall and JaVale McGee. Now what? There’s still no end in sight to the NBA lockout, and summer is almost over. That means the yearly end for offensively charged, pride-at-stake exhibitions that make summer leagues like Drew and Goodman so special. Even though they’re a crucial lifeline during the NBA offseason, they’ve never been expected to keep basketball alive during the season.
After all, one or two games — a Goodman/Drew rematch could happen in Los Angeles next month — is nothing next to the threat of 30 teams losing 82 games apiece. And last weekend’s contest, like most summer league games, didn’t come with a payday.
But there are some that believe the streetball spectacles that have served as a reminder of what will be lost if the NBA doesn’t return on time could also help replace the NBA in its absence.
The Street Basketball Association wants to take rosters like those seen at Barry Farms — homegrown, with nicknamed regulars like Hugh “Baby Shaq” Jones, along with an NBA player or two. The league wants to build a national league that is competitive, but allows players to profit from their individual flash.
The SBA has a showcase game planned in Austin, Texas, for Sept. 11 — an event honoring the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks — but it hasn’t announced the names of any NBA players expected to participate. Until it has players, it’s little more than last weekend’s game without the star power.
NBA players also know that streetball is a luxury; to stay sharp they need NBA-level competition. A professionals-only two-week league is in the works for next month in Las Vegas at Impact Basketball, where dozens off players work out regularly. Games could be streamed online, but without crowds, that’s no different than watching an NBA team practice, and that’s not what fills arenas.
Streetball on high school courts or internet-only games in empty gyms remind fans of the NBA, but they also can’t hide the fact that they’re not the NBA. Until there’s any hope of a labor resolution, that makes for a long, cold winter.
– Craig Stouffer
