The highly anticipated Drew League, Goodman League showdown is next month and with the NBA lockout 
already putting the kibosh on the Las Vegas Summer League, many NBA fans will be flocking to Washington D.C. to take in this event.
Who can blame them? The players featured are a who’s who of the NBA including Kevin Durant, Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, Brandon Jennings, Nick Young, and James Harden to name a few.
But as the game nears, it would seem organizing the event is not without its bumps in the road. From logistical issues, to more sponsors needed to cover housing and travel costs for the players involved, the event is still in the works but should be good to go come tip-off.
Drew League commissioner Dino Smiley said he is still “99.9 percent sure [the game in Washington, D.C., will happen] unless some hiccups pop up,” but there remains work to be done to finalize a showdown involving several NBA players.
And with the NBA lockout in full effect, players also have to undertake the risk of playing without insurance. Their “For Love of the Game” clause, which allows them to spontaneously play basketball whenever they want, will be useless since this is a planned event. That means players have to find other avenues for insurance.
Another interesting note is that the event going to cost fans $25 to $60 a ticket and Smiley is in talks with Ustream to stream it live for $6.95 per viewer.
Personally, I view this as a bad move. Fans already see the CBA negotiations as millionaires squabbling with billionaires on how to get even richer. Granted the players are without jobs and are looking to generate income but this could be a bad PR move. Regardless of who pushed for an admission charge, having it free for fans would be a great way to give back to the fans who are forgotten in this lockout.
