EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Basketball players in Los Angeles take part in the Drew League every summer as a fun and educational way to stay involved in the sport.

Former two-time NBA All-Star and entrepreneur Baron Davis is from LA and has played an active role in the summer league over the years. He recently opened up to Spectrum News about his Drew League fundraising efforts through a unique social media campaign.


What You Need To Know

  • The Drew League is a pro-am basketball league held every summer in LA, bringing local players and professional athletes together since 1973

  • Baron Davis is from LA and played on the Clippers during a career that included two All-Star Game appearances

  • He recently partnered with simplehuman to raise money for LA's Drew League through a social media "trick shot" challenge

  • Davis played himself in a starring role in the comedy film "Joy Ride," which is currently in theaters

"Growing up here, there was no NBA for players that came from the inner city of Los Angeles," said Davis. "So if you didn't make any college, there was no other opportunity to work on your game, expand your game. And so the dream became that league for those players."

And Davis himself has been no stranger to the Drew League for a while now.

"At 13, I got a chance to play," he said. "And then, once I made it to the pros, my mission was to bring NBA guys to the Drew so the Drew can get the recognition that it needed and have kids want to go and see players play for free."

Cut to present-day, and Davis is now raising money for the league that holds a special place in his heart. He recently announced new interactive efforts to have his fans help raise money through a unique social media challenge.

Davis has partnered with simplehuman, a Torrance-based company that designs tools for efficient living, to help bring the challenge to life by asking fans to share a video of their best "trick shot" via social media using the hashtag #simplehumantrickshot. And it doesn't need to be done on the court — Davis says your trash can at home be used as a hoop, for example. For each successful swish shared, simplehuman will donate $25 to The Drew League Foundation. 

"It’s brands like simplehuman that focus on leagues and build opportunities for leagues like the Drew," said Davis. "And just knowing all the people at simplehuman are huge basketball fans, the thought was, 'Let's do something cool in the summer to benefit an organization that could use it. And the Drew foundation is about the kids and sports, but also helping kids figure out their next best move in life."

Outside his fundraising efforts, Davis can also be spotted on the big screen. He plays himself in the acclaimed new comedy film "Joy Ride," which is currently in theaters.

“My scenes were cool," he said. "I was just happy to be a part of the movie. Do I want to do more acting? Yes of course, I would love to. And so that's why I took the role. Hopefully, there are some more movies coming."

Davis also remains busy behind the camera with an upcoming documentary about "the relationship behind hip-hop and sports." But in the meantime, his trick-shot challenge is still going strong on social media.

To find out more about the simplehuman partnership, please visit here.

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