Tag: Drew League

After March leg surgery, Tari Eason successfully returns to game action at Drew League

After undergoing leg surgery in March, third-year Rockets forward Tari Eason is already back on the court and playing in basketball games.

After undergoing leg surgery in early March, the Houston Rockets announced a four-month recovery timetable for Tari Eason, and general manager Rafael Stone said the expectation was for Eason to be fully available by training camp in October.

It turns out he’s right on schedule. On Sunday, July 21, Eason took part in basketball activity at the Drew League in Los Angeles, and he won Player of the Game honors while posting 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists in a victory for his team (per the league).

“So thankful to be able to hoop again,” Eason posted in a social media comment (via X) on Sunday afternoon.

Eason last played in an NBA game on Jan. 1. After suffering a stress reaction to his lower right leg in the 2023-24 preseason, Eason went through a series of highs and lows in trying to rest and rehabilitate the injury before choosing to correct it, surgically, in March.

As for the Drew League, it’s become something of an annual tradition for NBA players each July. The pro-am league that was once primarily comprised of semi-pro, international, and local players is now a star-studded event, with cameos from many marquee names.

For Eason, who missed 60 of Houston’s 82 games in 2023-24 after playing all 82 in his 2022-23 rookie season, it was a chance to start shaking off rust while getting some long-overdue reps in.

A first-round pick in the 2022 NBA draft, Eason averaged 9.8 points (46.6% FG, 36.0% on 3-pointers) and 7.0 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game last season. He projects to be one of Houston’s best and most versatile defenders, and he’s a very active rebounder, as well.

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DeMar DeRozan leads MNV Cheaters to victory in Drew League Playoffs

DeRozan dominated the fourth quarter in Saturday’s first-round Drew League playoff win.

DeMar DeRozan was at it again on Saturday in the Drew League.

DeRozan finished with 35 points (17 in the fourth quarter), 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks to lead MNV Cheaters to the first-round playoff victory.

Mr. Fourth Quarter made another appearance on Saturday, scoring 17 of his 35 points in the final frame to clench the victory.

DeRozan is a staple in the Drew League and has played in several games this summer, including last month alongside LeBron James and last week with Bulls teammates Patrick Williams and Dalen Terry.

Check out the highlights from DeRozan’s performance below.

 

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DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Williams team up at Drew League

The two Bulls teammates combined for 50 points in the win on Saturday.

The Drew League is always a spectacle in the summer as NBA players show up and show out for fans on an almost weekly basis.

On Saturday, Bulls teammates DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Williams and rookie Dalen Terry popped up to play for Cheaters, helping them get the win, led by DeRozan’s 36 points to celebrate his 33rd birthday.

Patrick Williams finished with a double-double — 14 points and 14 rebounds — alongside DeRozan’s 36 points.

DeRozan, who played in the Drew League a few weeks ago alongside Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, has been a staple at the Drew for years.

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It was the summer of 2011, and players …

It was the summer of 2011, and players in the National Basketball Association were in the midst of a heated lockout. At a time when players would typically be gearing up to report to NBA training camp in September, the stars were looking for any morsel of competition to keep their skills sharp. Thanks to the conflict over dispersion of revenue, the salary cap and luxury tax, it resulted in generational talents such as James, Bryant and Durant making their first Drew League appearances during that remarkable summer.