The Drew of 805: Steve Peters League
Most basketball fans of the famous Drew League are unaware of a hotbed of talented gym rats that gather regularly in Oxnard, CA to take part in the Steve Peters Basketball League (SPL). Here is the first of a three-part series by Erik Woods on the SPL and the Drew League and about some of his related memories with past players and mentors.
By Erik Woods
2016, I'm missing the Drew League while watching the Steve Peters Basketball League (SPL) which is an hour north of LA. Suddenly a bolt of lightening hits me: The world needs to know why both these leagues are dope!
If you dare to read this all, you'll see why I have crazy mad love for both, why I bleed pride for DeMar DeRozan, and more. You might never have heard of the SPL's David Van Someren, Juelz Samuel, or Charles Dillon, but I'm here to explain why they have heart, game, passion just as the best ballers I knew 12 years ago like Baron Davis, DeMar Derozan, and Brandon Jennings
Rewind to 2004, taking in Drew games and quoting Drew League commish Dino Smiley, I shouted to the world that THE DREW deserves props like The Ruckers of New York.
Back a decade ago when I was a freelance writer for SLAM magazine, I'd tell my fellow New York based SLAM writers like Ryan Jones about two respectful, academic, Mozart ballers, youngsters named DeMar and Brandon.
Both only in 9th grade, but I told Ryan they were already good enough to confidently compete at the Drew!
To offer perspective, only a youngster like Lebron James could could play with elite Drew comp comfortably.
Recently, we've all watched DeMar destroy in the NBA this season, so I'm proudly remembering Demar's dad Frank, he called me up to get advice about the grassroots AAU scene because he knew I was first and foremost, "an honest grade school teacher."
Besides coaching DeMar a lil bit, I felt proud to share his superhuman abilities in a story, here's a paragraph I wrote about him in my Master P Diaries as DeMar was only a 9th grader showing LeBron potential:
"DeMar turns the corner on his grown man defender and goes up high, High, and HIGHER as he puts the ball through his legs after lift off a la Vince Carter to ferociously dunk it through the rim so fast that the ball bounced on the floor and hit DeMar in the head before he landed.
The grown men on the sidelines watching had their jaws drop, and DeMar’s defender simply walked out of the gym stating, 'That ain’t right, I’m not going to play ball ever again.' To his credit, that player was convinced to come back and give it another shot two weeks later."
The Drew has world class talent and lives for the game, but now you need to know why the SPL has it like that as well.
Every Sunday, at the corner of heart and hustle is the 5th St Oxnard Boy's Club. The local airport is literally 200 yards away across the street and I'm always afraid a plane is going to crash down on us.
You hear jets taking off in flight constantly but on the courts of the SPL the most lethal F-18 bombs come from the comp in the form of 6-3 David Van Someren of team OTF, dude is an athletic juggernaut who shreds defenders in the SPL like Derozan does at the Drew, because both these guys leave me in awe BIG-TIME.
Van Someren says of the SPL, "This league provides a place for people that love basketball and strive to compete and this is a great place to do so. No matter how young or old the players, they get that comp. Since the good ol' days' of pick up games are scarce at the park nowadays, Steve [Peters] gives us that place to compete."
DeMar and David V just seem to "smash on guys in a game." Watching David and DeMar is like I have Flava Flav and Chuck D of Public Enemy rapping next to me, I hear Rebel without a Pause play in my head, "Give me the lane, I'll throw it down your throat like Barkley."
When I wrote DeMar's story back in the day it was called, "DeMar runs these streets." Well in the SPL, David V runs 5th St and Ventura Rd fasho.
Next up in Part 2, learn some of the incredible details and background of the SPL.
Then in Part 3, read more old stories about Brandon Jennings, and a new story of true love at the SPL.
