Jordin Mayes had just come back from playing professionally in Uganda and started playing in the Drew League this summer. He would eventually compete for the title.
Former Arizona Wildcat Jordin Mayes played in the Drew League during the summer of 2019 for the Nationwide Soulja’s team (NWS). The team went 9-3 in the regular season and Mayes, wearing the No.1 Jersey, helped his team to compete for the Championship.
Mayes played with former NBA players and Aaron Harrison (Dallas Mavericks). At times the 32-year-old 289-pound center Glen Davis (aka former Celtic and Clipper Big Baby Davis) played with the team. Also on the team was former Clipper Cuttino Mobley, the oldest on the team at the age of 42, but you wouldn’t know it the way he played.
Davis and Mobley (Co-Captain with teammate Corey Maggette) play together in the Big 3 League for team Power. Also on their team is Ryan Gomes, Quentin Richardson, Xavier Silas, and the Birdman, Chris Andersen. Cuttino had his moments in the Drew, but Big Baby made huge splashes and Mayes continuously drove to the basket to make plays.
In round one of the playoffs, NWS took on Team Blackpearls Elite and beat them by 11 points, 84-73. Mayes ended the day with seven points and two rebounds, but it was his defense that NWS benefited the most from. The Elite team included one of Mayes former Pac-12 opponents from his senior year at Arizona; G-League player and former USC Trojan Julian Jacobs. The two played in the Pac-12 in the 2013-2014 season. On to Round No. 2.
Arizona Wildcats
In Round No. 2, NWS matched up against Team Problems. Problems did not have headliner names on their roster, but Deshawn Stephens (San Diego State, LA D-Fenders) and Garrett Nevels or G-Money (Hawaii, FIBA Lega – Eurocup) was a problem. The two teamed up for 48 points but lost to the Soulja’s 93-81. The “Amazing Jordin Mayes,” what George the play by play legend calls Jordin, hit three out of four 3-pointers to end up with 15 points along with Big Baby. On to the Semifinals.
The Semifinals would have to wait a week. Rounds No. 1 and No. 2 were held back-to-back-to-back at South West College in Inglewood, California. One would think this game would have been the hardest game to win for the Soulja’s against the Most Hated Players, but it seemed like a piece of cake compared to the Finals matchup. Mayes and his team would be playing a fully stacked team made up of NBA players DeMar DeRozan, Nick ‘Swaggy P’ Young, and Jordan Clarkson andFIBA Star DJ Shelton (Washington State).
The fans came out in droves for this game. Usually, the Drew League attracts fans for Most Hated Players, any team James Harden plays on, or last years Championship team, Birdies Revenge, which was made up of absolutely no NBA players. Birdies included rapper The Game, Frank Session (3x MVP), Jarion Henry, and Roshun Wynne who all played for the NBLC team Island Storm and Marcus Bell who won a Championship in Delicious Mexico and was crowned MVP.
MHP just could not shoot, they could not find a rhythm, and Big Baby Davis could not be guarded. It was quite entertaining to watch Young take on Big Baby under the basket on defense, he was relentless, but Davis had something to prove. DeRozan and Young combined for only four of 16 3-pointers although their combined points (41) and rebounds (16) were very impressive, Clarkson also contributed 19 points. But it wasn’t enough. Mayes scored 17 points to help his team to the Drew League Finals, and he was charged up after the game.
The Drew League Finals took place the following day. Scottie Pippen (in attendance) and Shaquille O’Neal sons along with Arizona target Josh Christopher played in a Nike EYBL exhibition in the game before the Championship game. Kobe Bryant joined Pippen in the Nike VIP Seats with his daughter to take in the game.
In the Final game, NWS took on Team Redemption. Redemption was coached by Air West Director Keion Kindred, a Drew League mentor to a lot of the players. Redemptions players were mostly professional FIBA, and G-League players and NWS was without Big Baby Davis, so the teams were competitive. Note, not one current NBA players team made it to the Finals. This is what is so unreal about the Drew League; no NBA player can dominate because of the grit and heart of Los Angeles homegrown talent that never made it to the League.
NWS ended up losing to Redemption by seven points, 99-92. It was a close game, but prolific shooting guard Marc Wilson, currently looking for a professional opportunity, decided to turn on his afterburners in front of his idol Kobe and hit a few layups and one sweet 3-pointer to seal the deal.
Here are the highlights including some great plays for Mayes who scored a team-high 21 points making 80% of his three’s (4/5).
Hey, basketball is a team sport, and Mayes took the loss in stride congratulating Coach Kindred on Twitter.
Mayes proved a lot in the Drew League, and hopefully, the world will wake up and give some of these hoopers some credit. Time to hire humble former Arizona Wildcat, and one of my faves in the Drew League, Jordin Mayes!