Picture this its mid-June and the NBA Finals have wrapped up and many of the rookies have found a new home in the NBA. So, as a basketball fan where does, that leave you? For many of us that leave a sports void until preseason football starts. But, if you’re solely a basketball fan that means that void is there until college basketball. Here’s a great alternative while you are waiting for basketball season to come back around. It is called the Big 3.
A little background, the Big 3 was started in 2017 by rapper Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz. The thought behind it was to give people that are basketball fans and sports lovers a league that was just as entertaining as watching your favorite NBA team.
The league is made of 12 teams that play 3 on 3 basketball, hence why the league is called the Big 3. Not to be confused with And1 or a streetball league, this league takes many of the same NBA rules but has its own flair.
There is no jump ball to determine who receives the ball first. Instead, there is a do or die 4 point shout out. Yes, there is a 4-point line as well. However, they also do utilize 2 and 3-point shots as well. The league runs for 12 weeks starting in June and ending right before preseason football, very ingenious on the parts of Ice Cube and CBS Sports, which is where all the games can be viewed.
Imagine walking into an arena on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, typically the times of day the games are played, and seeing some of your favorite retired players and NBA greats.
I live in Indianapolis, Indiana which was one of the cities during their opening weekend this year. I ran into Julius Dr. J Irving and Shannon Brown, former NBA guard, and nearly had a panic attack due to the excitement.
The Big 3 isn’t just limited to NBA retirees. They have many great overseas players as well as two female coaches Lisa Leslie who is the coach of the Triplets and Nancy Lieberman who is the coach of Power. In this league age is not a factor. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf who plays for the 3-Headed Monsters is 49 years old and plays with just as much heart and intensity as anyone else.
The league splits into two close in proximity cities allowing all 12 teams to play during the weekend. I’ve been to two cities this summer (Indianapolis, and Brooklyn) and each game is more entertaining than the next.
One of my favorite moments that has now happened three weeks in a row is from the league lead scorer Iso- Joe, Joe Johnson, who currently plays for the Triplets has scored the game-winning shot from the four-point line. His team is still undefeated with five weeks remaining. I’m excited to tune in for the upcoming weeks to see if the Triplets stay undefeated. If the Big 3 is in a city near you, be sure to check them out. You won’t be sorry.
