Check Out These 5 Celebrity Basketball Leagues To Watch Players Cook On The Court, Bring The Drama, And Win At Life
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My father Mike Robinson was drafted into the NBA by the Utah Jazz before playing in Europe, making him the second person in the family to be drafted after his brother John Robinson was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers. My aunt Debra Robinson was also inducted into the DePaul University Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000 for a record number of blocks against opponents.
My childhood days were spent hooping in the backyard with my big bro while my dad coached us. We spent many nights at Chicago Bulls games downtown at the United Center, one evening watching Derrick Rose put on an NBA quality performance while he played for Simeon High School.
When I attended games to watch my then high school boyfriend — and Whitney Young High School basketball team captain — play, I sat near Michael Jordan, who was there to watch his son Marcus Jordan play on the same team. Then there are the times that I'd be riding with my dad in the car, and we'd bump into Tim Hardaway in traffic. Very early in life, these fun moments showed me that basketball and celebrities go hand in hand together in the family.
Thanks to Dad's time as a professional basketball player, basketball is the family sport. I love watching the NBA and WNBA, but sometimes I need more drama, more entertainment, and more celebrities.
That’s why I tap into these competitive celebrity basketball leagues to watch the fierce competition and prominent personalities create some of basketball’s juiciest moments.
1.The Crew League on Revolt TV
The Crew League will get you right if you love hip-hop and basketball. The Crew League is a Revolt TV production coming from Sean “Love” Combs himself, who launched the league in 2021. Fans who watch the unscripted series see celebrities lead their basketball teams into a head-to-head competition against each other, and they can ball. But man, can they talk trash, too. This show is excellent for those who want to watch celebrities get riled up, then settle their beef on the court.
Revolt TV recently aired The Crew League's Season 3 Championship Game. In Season 1 of The Crew League, hip-hop artists like Swae Lee and Jack Harlow led teams to compete for a cash prize of $100,000. In Season 2, celebrities — and best friends — Chris Brown and Tyga lead crews to compete for $200,000 cash.
The rules of TCL basketball.
The rules of the game are simple. Teams play games of 4-on-4 to 21 points, and they need to win by 2 points. There are a few other “hidden” rules that viewers discover along the way. If either team gets 10 fouls in either half, every foul from then on turns into a free throw. The fouls don’t carry over, and team captains take the free-throw shots. Then there is “Iso.” At any point in the game, when either captain has the ball, he can call “Iso,” which isolates him and the defensive player sticking him to play for the shot one-on-one while all the other players clear the court. Once the shot is fired off — whether it banks or not — all the players return to the court to continue the game.
One of my favorite episodes of The Crew League is the Season 2 Semi-Finals: Chris Brown’s OHB vs. Tyga’s Kings of Summer.
When it comes to Chris Brown’s team in The Crew League, though, it’s how he stacked OHB with professional basketball players and ringers because the man did not come to play about his bag.
Chris Brown leads OHB as team captain with his textbook jump shot. OHB has been a favorite for The Crew League Championship since he assembled the team, and he intends for things to stay that way by continuing to play with fellow elite athletes such as Isaiah Briscoe. Isaiah has played in the NBA G-League. His professional experience shows how he speeds past opponents with sharp handles and is known to score off an assist.
Chris also has a big man on his team, so tall and skillful that it is nearly impossible for the Kings of Summer to guard him. But his desire to shoot so much makes him easy to foul, a thing of which Tyga happily takes advantage. Then there’s White Iverson, who is often introduced as “the guy they call White Iverson,” as some commentators are skeptical of his skill, though he’s a social media influencer. All in all, Chris Brown has enlisted a roster that is sure to draw attention on and off the court.
Tyga’s team is stacked with some homies he feels are representative of his friends and the grit they bring to the court. Which is good news because Tyga can ball as well.
YK Osiris does hoop, but he is more widely known for recklessness and developing into a better team player.
In this episode, as soon as the mic is in front of YK’s face, he talks trash about the other team, and he's good at it. The interviewer asks YK why he isn’t being put in the game, and he says, “We ‘bout to whoop ‘em.” A side-line commentator named Druski then shouts, “Hell of a guy!” Druski and Jack Harlow then give YK Osiris a standing ovation before Druski yells at Tyga to put YK in the game. YK says something to Tyga about getting off the bench, but Tyga is too focused on leading the team on the court.
To watch these music industry besties battle in basketball for bread is quite an adventure. Thanks Revolt TV.
Shout out to the whole cast and crew for the high production value, great commentary, action-packed editing, and stellar heart-filled performances from the star players.
Tap into Revolt TV's The Crew League to watch Chris Brown, Tyga, and more of music's biggest celebrities compete in basketball while also delivering comedic drama.
2.Metta World Peace’s XvsX Sports
Metta World Peace spent 18 years playing NBA Basketball, having been drafted by the Chicago Bulls, then playing for the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, and New York Knicks.
XvsX Sports is a unique basketball league that comes from the mind of NBA Basketball Champion Metta World Peace. He launched the XvsX Sports app with the help of his son Jeron Artest — who is a baller and engineer — as a tool for competitive basketball players to set games and create leagues. The app allows users to post game information, share multimedia content, and send cash to one another. XvsX Sports has cash games, crypto coins, and NFT games where players have opportunities to win.
Metta is also known to drop in on XvsX Sports games as a coach and to host calls with other coaches to help them grow.
As I got to know Metta and his work, it became clear that XvsX Sports is a family-oriented and community-minded endeavor. When I interviewed Metta World Peace for NewsBreak in 2021, I asked what inspired him to launch XvsX Sports.
He replied, “Basketball is a sport where the most passionate can often get overlooked due to life’s circumstances. XvsX Sports was created to truly empower talent. It’s not so much about growing the business as much as it’s about empowering people. Our focus is bringing out the beauty in basketball.”
XvsX Sports is packed with players who leave it all on the court, including celebrities and elite athletes. But it is the stories of how basketball is changing the lives of players that make Metta’s community so unique.
Bradley Ezewiro stands tall at 6 feet 8 inches and plays Forward for the Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers.
Having seen Bradley play in person at an XvsX Sports invite-only open run, I can tell you that he dominates on the court by putting pressure on the offense and dunking on the defense.
There is actor Rome Flynn from Shondaland’s How to Get Away with Murder and Netflix’s Raising Dion.
Rome was also an attendee at the invite-only XvsX Sports open run, where he showed quick handles and sharp speed on the court. During the warm-up portion of the evening, Rome was fully committed to following the lead of the coach, who ran screen drills and defensive plays with the guys until they broke some sweat. Rome is a member of XvsX Sports’ all-influencer team, including Christon Staples.
Christon Staples is the type of guy to drunk on you…
Then show you that he teamed up with seven-time NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady to re-create his famous dunks.
XvsX Sports also has game hosts such as one of the app’s firsts, Dr. Cherene “Doc” Toscano, who met Metta World Peace while practicing chiropractic medicine.
“During a treatment session, Metta told me about his goals for a new app and league called XvsX. It was just what was needed during dark times when good runs were so hard to come by,” she said when we first connected. Doc is a talented basketball player who grew up in a large, tight-knit Ecuadorian family. She started going to the gym with her family when she was 2 years old, then played girls’ and women’s basketball in high school and college.
“Crazy enough that at the age of 42, I was drafted into the Women’s Universal Basketball Association or WUBA, a FIBA certified pro team because of it,” Cherene tells me.
When Dr. Cherene isn’t treating players, she’s getting busy on the court at XvsX Sports basketball runs, hooping in the Venice Ball League, and attending The Crew League games.
3.Ice Cube’s BIG3 basketball league
When Ice Cube announced the launch of the BIG3, he changed the game of professional basketball profoundly and forever.
BIG3 Founder Ice Cube tells legendary hip-hop artist Talib Kweli that he started the league because he is a fan.
Ice Cube is right about how there any many reasons that highly skilled, elite basketball players could continue professional careers with more league options.
I know this from talking to current and former professional basketball players who play in and run leagues. In many cases, family life impacts them, injuries take a while to overcome, or the front office — for whatever reason — decides not to extend their contract.
Ice Cube's BIG3 offers these athletes, who have likely been playing for their entire lives, an avenue to continue to develop as players and people while competing with some of the best athletes in the world. Ice Cube's BIG3 basketball league represents the power of a true fan.
HotNewHipHop reported in 2021 that Ice Cube considered turning the BIG3 into a reality show.
“Unfortunately, COVID-19 forced the league to shut down for a year, which prompted Ice Cube to come up with new ways to keep the BIG3 going. For instance, there were rumors that Cube would executive produce a reality show in which all of the league's players live in one big house where they also play tournaments for cash prizes. It was an ambitious idea that never came to fruition; however, Cube still had massive hopes for 2021, and he was able to execute big time.”
Had Ice Cube executive produced such a reality show, I would have considered it a build onto the work that Sean Love Combs is doing with The Crew League, where he mixes reality television with basketball on Revolt TV.
Delonte West making a comeback in the BIG3 is the story many basketball fans want to see right now.
In March 2022, former NBA basketball player Delonte West tried out for the BIG3 basketball league in Washington, DC. His performance proved that he still has skills on the court to be competitive, and his try-out performance earned him a ticket to the BIG3 2022 Combine in Las Vegas.
“I been doing whatever I can to make my way back. Had to go humble myself and play in the D-League,” Delonte West says in this VICE Sports video from 2014.
Former NBA basketball player Donté Greene was recognized as BIG3’s Most Improved Player of the 2021 Season.
“Donté Greene went from a role player in 2019 to a star of the BIG3 in 2021. Killer 3’s started the season off slow going 0-2, but won five of their next six games, thanks to the emerging duo of Donté Greene and Frank Nitty. The six foot eleven stretch forward was the centerpiece to their success,” says the BIG3 website. Greene was even among the top five scorers in the league with more than 20 points per game.
His time in the BIG3 is a refreshing picture after Donté’s basketball career has taken many twists and turns.
Much of his time in the NBA was spent in a Sacramento Kings uniform, but he also had a verbal agreement on the table with the Brooklyn Nets at one point. Unfortunately, that deal wasn’t activated because Donté suffered an ankle injury in a freak accident.
He also spent seven years playing professional basketball abroad. In 2019, Donté Green played in the NBA G-League when he signed to play in Lebanon for Champville in the LBL. Before spending one year playing college basketball at Syracuse University then going pro, he was one of the highest-ranked recruits in Syracuse history. In the BIG3, Donté Greene shows up with a fire and energy that says he means business.
Recently, the BIG3 announced expanded tryouts ahead of its fifth season. Gone head, pull up.
4.The Drew League
The Drew: No Excuse, Just Produce - Streaming NOW https://t.co/asJzUG9L7rFor over 40 years The Drew League has been a fixture in LA's basketball history - a rite of passage for both local players and pros from around the world.
In the Drew League, the baron himself, Baron Davis, showcases “nasty handles” and a power that penetrates the defense with ease.
In August 2021, Baron Davis joined Metta World Peace to coach at the Drew League’s first-ever all-star game in Los Angeles.
“On Wednesday night, the league had its first all-star game ever with coaches, including LA native Baron Davis and former Laker Metta World Peace. It's the first time the NBA Players Association had ever sanctioned a pro-am event, and former Clipper and now former Laker Montrezl Harrell balled out,” writes Timothy Parker for Spectrum News.
Baron, notably, directed a documentary called The Drew: No Excuse, Just Produce, honoring the Drew League after playing in the league since the age of 13.
“For me, it keeps me humble, keeps me grounded. It is a place I can always go back to and feel at home, so I don’t know where I would be without the Drew. It’s had such a huge impact on my life,” Baron Davis says in The Bleacher Report.
Baron Davis is the type of guy to negotiate his own NBA contract…
Then slam dunk on the competition and demolish players in the NBA for 13 years.
I listened to Baron Davis share insights as he spoke about strategic investments, branding, and NFTs at a recent Bloomberg event in Los Angeles.
In this video, former NBA All-Stars Isaiah Thomas and Baron Davis go ham in the Drew League at a game in the summer of 2021.
The Drew League player and NBA-level athlete Isaiah Thomas is one of the best scorers in NBA basketball history.
How did Isaiah become one of the best scorers to ever play professional basketball?
In 2017, NBA.com writer Ian Levy wrote, “At 5-foot-9, Isaiah Thomas is one of the smallest players in the league, but his offensive impact has been absolutely enormous for the Boston Celtics this season. Thomas has always been a scorer — averaging at least 15 points per game in each of the previous three seasons, but he’s increased his scoring average by nearly seven points per game this year. Thomas is averaging 29.1 points per game, third-most in the league, with the second-highest true shooting percentage of any player averaging at least 20 points per game. He’s shouldering a bigger load and more efficiently than he ever has before.”
It’s Isaiah’s capacity for growth that sets him apart from the competition.
Isaiah Thomas’ personal life grabbed the nation’s attention when he chose to play his heart out despite suffering the loss of his sister.
In December 2021, Isaiah visited the ESPN podcast Jalen & Jacoby to discuss his life and career.
“It’s been tough at times just because I don’t see why I’m not in the league. I showed that I’m healthy; I showed that I’m the same player as I was before, but at the same time, I continue to have faith,” he said. Just days before, he dropped 42 points for the Grand Rapids Gold, the Nuggets’ G League affiliate.
It is Isaiah Thomas’ time in the Drew League and other professional leagues that allowed him to continue to thrive as a top-notch player. I am excited to see what he does next.
The Drew League player and college forward E.J. Anosike is a powerhouse on and off the court while obtaining his master's in business administration.
Standout Forward E.J. Anosike led the way for the USC Fullerton Titans to win NCAA's Big West Basketball Championship.
Just before E.J. led the Titans to win the Men's Big West Basketball Championship, CSFU News reported on E.J.’s stunning basketball performance by highlighting him as an invaluable player on the team. In the full report on the Titans website, written by Bill Sheehan, E.J.’s scoring average is pointed to as a major reason the forward is seen as a leader.
“The newcomer has been a catalyst for the Titans. Anosike was just named Big West Newcomer of the Year as well as Big West First Team All-Conference,” says Bill Sheehan.
"He led the team and the conference with an average of 16.3 points per game. Anosike also topped the Titans in rebounds (7.7), tied for first in blocks (0.4), and tied for second in assists (1.8),” Sheehan continues.
E.J.’s leadership on the court helped place the Titans at the #2 seed as they entered the Big West Championships.
E.J. Anosike’s energy shines on and off the court.
I met E.J. in Los Angeles at a private fundraising event for Black men’s mental health. The 6’7” and 236 lbs New Jersey native with Nigerian roots stands out in any room he enters. We laughed about how we have both met Metta World Peace as he showed me a picture of the two of them from when E.J. was in high school. I got to know E.J. better when he shared with me what brought him to attend the mental health-focused event.
“I really want to expand my horizons, hear more about different people, their stories, and testimonies. I believe mental health is very important to become successful. That’s the biggest thing in life I want to teach,” he said.
Early on in life, E.J. learned the meaning of hard work and commitment.
E.J. grew up with seven other siblings in public housing in New York and New Jersey. “As a young teenager, he traveled daily from East Orange, New Jersey, to St. Peter's Boys' High School on Staten Island. His older brothers had attended the Catholic school when the family lived in the New York City borough, and he wanted to follow in their footsteps.”
It’s this determination that brings him to explode through the basketball as he pushes past opponents to the hoop and stays on them to shut down their shots.
The Drew League has a nearly 50-year history of developing young players and experienced players into better athletes.
The stories of Baron Davis, Isaiah Thomas, and E.J. Anosike are just the tip of the iceberg to represent the deep impact the Drew League has on athletes, their families, and communities. Keep changing lives Drew League.
5.Plus, follow the Ball Dawgs to keep up with all of these celebrity basketball players. It’s the next big sports media brand.
The Ball Dawgs are more than just a highlight company. It produces content, news, shows, series, and mixtapes. They work with Metta World Peace’s XvsX Sports and Baron Davis’ SLiC Sports like their influencer game in Las Vegas where they partnered with Boost Mobile.
They’re known to catch up with one of the world’s best scorers, Isaiah Thomas, while he’s grinding on the court.
Ball Dawgs partnered with Dunkademics to host an amazing Slam Drunk Contest in Las Vegas where Sir Issac took the crown over Courtland Holloway and the rest of the competition.
The Ball Dawgs All-Star Game was historic for Las Vegas and Basketball as a whole.
The sports media covers professional games, celebrity players, and highlights elite youth players as they are developing to play at higher levels, including the top middle school, high school, and college athletes.
“Coming off a completely sold-out, star-studded celebrity charity event less than 6 weeks ago, Ball Dawgs turned their attention to the high school talent,” said the Ball Dawgs in a press release in May 2021. “Not only did this event feature top players and a lot of other top 100 nationally ranked players, but the event also featured the top boys and girls in the Las Vegas senior class.”
