College athletes play against NBA stars in this Miami high school gym. Here’s why

Miami Gardens’ Florida Memorial University is a long way from Portsmouth, Ohio. But when Latavious “Tay” Mitchell’s basketball coach at Shawnee State University told the team he was pursuing a job at Florida Memorial, Mitchell was the first player in the locker room to announce he was following his coach down south.

So in June 2023, Mitchell moved to Miami. After playing for Florida Memorial for a year, an acquaintance helped Mitchell get involved with a new group of players — a summer basketball league where NBA stars play alongside college athletes and elite high school students.

This summer, the 6’8” forward hit the court with one of 10 teams in the Miami Pro League, helping his team go 6-1 before losing in the semifinals to the eventual championship team. His team, Draft Picks, featured the highly touted Florida State University transfer Bostyn Holt .

“I never got the opportunity to play D1 and always questioned if I was good enough to play at a high level,” Mitchell, 26, said in a recent interview.

Now in its 10th year, the Miami Pro League has become the go-to destination in South Florida for hoopers ranging from NBA All-Stars like Bam Adebayo to high school athletes showcasing their skills. The games, which run from July to August, are free to the public, and players participate out of a love of the sport or a desire to improve their game, since they aren’t compensated by the league. This summer, games were played at Little Havana’s Miami Senior High School and streamed online via ClashTV. Games have also been streamed on NBA.com and its app.

After playing on his Indianapolis high school’s freshman team, Mitchell’s basketball career had basically ended. While working a factory job after graduation, his cousin called him up one Saturday morning to play a pickup game at a local YMCA.

A man who was watching asked Mitchell about playing college ball, and he later enrolled at Shawnee State. But Mitchell couldn’t have predicted that in a few years’ time, he’d be playing against No. 2 NBA draft pick James Wiseman in the Miami Pro League.

“I played NAIA for four years and wondered if my game would level up to the next level,” Mitchell said.

The league has become the city’s top draw for summertime hoops. Miami Senior High alum and three-time NBA champion Udonis Haslem is the league’s commissioner.

“Nobody cares who you are in here,” said Haslem, 44. “Nobody cares who you played for in the regular season. Anybody can get it. Just because you played in the NBA Finals three months ago, when you walk in here, nobody cares.”

Haslem is hopeful that the league’s growth can mirror basketball’s rapid ascent around the world. At this summer’s Paris Olympic Games, both Team USA’s men’s and women’s basketball teams survived close victories. It is no longer a foregone conclusion that American basketball is far ahead of its global competition.

“Basketball is the biggest, fastest-growing sport, in my opinion, and I look at NBA China, NBA Africa and see how the sport of basketball is growing globally,” Haslem said.

Miami Pro League CEO David Chen has hit the ground running since starting in his role earlier this year. Chen, 44, is fueled by the same energy that brings fans out to see players like five-time NBA All-Star John Wall.

“I told a friend, look around, you see all different races,” he said. “It’s the entertainment and love of the game.”

Growing up in Texas, Chen watched the Lakers’ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar play basketball on television with his father and instantly became a fan of the game. He learned Spanish in order to play basketball with his Spanish-speaking neighbors and never lost his passion for the game.

“Yo hablo español, viví en México,” Chen said. “I understand the culture. [The league is] a global company. It’s about understanding from a global perspective.”

Haslem and Chen both see the Miami Pro League as a bridge between Miami’s basketball culture and the future of the sport. Haslem envisions the league being broadcast globally in markets such as China and uses his relationships to secure the best players possible for the league.

Chen is focused on continuing to find sponsors whose values align with the league to keep the games free and easily accessible. Understanding Miami’s culture and what it means for the league’s special brand of basketball is mandatory, Chen said.

“Tickets [for sale] can take away from a child for whom the game can change their whole life,” he said. “There’s other opportunities, but we depend on the best sponsors who believe in this philosophy and what we’re trying to do on the next level. We have amazing guys like Udonis and the team who set this up.”

Chen looks forward to the league branching out into basketball camps for local youth and is proud of the league’s digital presence, which includes a glut of social media content for players and a Discord channel designed to engage youth even after the gym at Miami Senior High closes.

Haslem is clear about what the league’s success means to him as a Miami native. When the league launched 10 years ago, he was deep into his 20-year career with the Miami Heat. His summers had become reserved for family time and rest, so he didn’t have as much time to support it.

Now that he’s retired, he has more time than ever to lead the league.

“My whole career, there was nowhere for us to play or get a good run [during the summer],” he said. “Fast forward, this is like a dream come true for me. Bringing it back to my [alma mater] Miami High is something I’ve been dreaming about.”

As Mitchell looks ahead to his senior year at Florida Memorial, he is excited about the potential opportunity to play professional basketball after his college career is over. Playing in the Miami Pro League has helped him realize that he can hold his own against the best players in the world.

“I know I’m well prepared and there’s nothing to be nervous about,” he said. “I just have to wait for my time.”