In the late 1980s, there was a group of players in Los Angeles who dominated pickup basketball runs around the city. When there was a closely contested game, this competitive group of players would start to tightly call their own fouls. Subsequently, they went on to win these games, earning them the name “The Cheaters.”
In 1987, the Cheaters, now known as the Mecca Cheaters, joined the Drew League. They won the championship in their first year in the league. Thirty-seven years later, the Mecca Cheaters are one of the most storied teams in the Drew League.
The team has featured some of the top talents to ever play in the Drew League, from Los Angeles basketball legends, such as Baron Davis and DeMar DeRozan to one of the greatest basketball players ever, LeBron James.
James played for the Cheaters twice: once during the NBA lockout in 2011 and again two summers ago in 2022.
The Cheaters in 2024 are the No. 2 seed in the Joe Barry Division and are scheduled to face off against No.4 seed Dawg Pound on Friday, Aug. 9.
The Cheaters defeated Task Force 101-79 on Aug. 2, behind a 45-point performance from DeMar DeRozan. He effortlessly rose up over any defender to knock down his signature midrange jump shots.
When an overly eager defender tried to block his jump shot, DeRozan would bait them into the air and go into their body to draw fouls on his way to 14 free throw attempts.
DeRozan scored 24 points by midway through the second quarter, and the Cheaters held a double-digit from the first quarter.
Casper Ware Sr. is the head coach of the Cheaters. His son, Casper Ware Jr., a decorated overseas professional basketball player, currently plays on the Cheaters.
“If we don’t win it, trust me, we are always in the playoffs,” Ware Sr. said. “We’ve been doing that for so many years.”
Ware Sr. has won two championships as a player and two as a coach with the Cheaters. On the women’s side, he helped lead the Cheaters to five championships and four of those in a row. As a player, he was named a Drew League Regular Season and Championship MVP.
The Cheaters are known for their tough defense. They pick teams up full-court and pressure ball handlers. But what sticks out most about the team is their togetherness.
“It starts with the coaching,” Cheater forward Chance Hunter said. “They’re coming from a winning program. They do the things that lead to winning.” Hunter said.
He finished his first professional season in Iceland last season, but playing in the Drew League gives him an opportunity to share the floor with high-level talents like DeRozan and Ware Jr.
“It’s great to soak it in and then learn as much as I can,” Hunter said.
Ware Jr. grew up going to the Drew League and watching his father play.
“A lot of families take their kids to the park,” Ware Sr. said. “A lot of people take their kids to the beach. We go the Drew.”
The team’s familial culture carries over to how the team plays on both ends with strong defense and sharing the ball on offense.
“When you come play with us, you’re not just playing with us, you got to gel,” Ware Jr., who scored 18 points in the win over Task Force, said. “You got to have the right attitude because we got so many different players that want to play.”
After defeating Task Force, the Cheaters knocked four-time Drew League MVP Franklin Session and Elevate out of the playoffs in a 76-68 win. DeRozan scored 22 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. Ware Jr. added 19 points and four assists.
Now heading into the semifinals, the Cheaters are two wins away from adding to their history.
Who else is left in the playoffs?
Black Pearl Elite and the Nationwide Souljas are on the other side of the men’s bracket.
Black Pearl Elite has only lost one game the whole season. They fell in the last regular season to Undisputed Legends, but exacted their revenge on Aug. 4 by defeating Undisputed Legends 91-88.
Montrezl Harrell had a great all-around performance with 27 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Mike Nwabuzor added 22 points and seven assists. Kyree Walker made his return to the Drew League after going back to his professional team in Canada and scored 19 points.
The Legends team was led by Euroleague professional player Kevin Punter, who scored 32 points.
Nationwide Souljas came out on top against West Coast Elite. The Souljas saw a 28-point performance from former NBA player Daniel Hamilton. However, it was a team effort as seven players scored eight points or more. Kwah Grodic had eight points, eight rebounds and nine assists. Grodic’s steady head at point guard has helped the Souljas advance.
Dawg Pound defeated the No. 1 seed I-Can All Stars in the Gilbert Wilburn Division, coming out with a one-point victory. David Elliot scored 17 points as the Dawg Pound made a comeback victory after outscoring I-Can All Stars 17-7 in the fourth quarter.
In the Women’s Drew League, Task Force reached the championship game with a 46-43 win over TNSS.
Ryann Payne scored 22 points while getting four steals. TNSS saw an 18-point effort from Ashley Ellis.
Task Force started the season 1-3 but has won every game since.
Their opponent is GAGE, who defeated Air Hearn and Redemption 53-42. Hearn’s 23 points weren’t enough as Redemption will miss out on a chance to repeat as Women’s Drew League champions.
GAGE has only lost two games this season. Aliyah Gayles led the way with 17 points and 14 rebounds.
Task Force and Gage will play on Sunday for the championship game at 2 p.m.
For the Men’s Drew League, Black Pearl Elite and Nationwide Souljas will play Friday at 6:30 p.m. The Mecca Cheaters and Dawg Pound face off at 7:45 p.m. The winners will play in the championship on Sunday at 5:30 p.m.
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