Hip-Hop legend and movie star Ice Cube helped shape part of West Coast entertainment culture and has spent nearly a decade expanding the game of basketball.
Ice Cube, whose legal name is O'Shea Jackson Sr., serves as co-founder and CEO of the BIG3. The league has served as another option for players looking to continue their careers in a new format.
What's the BIG3?
The BIG3 hosts a fast-paced, 3-on-3 season of games that features, but is not limited to, players with NBA experience and Hall of Famers during the summer months.
The league continues to push and will close out its ninth season with playoff action and a Celebrity Game this weekend.
“The difference between Year 1 and now in Year 9 is the respect that our athletes get,” Ice Cube said. “A lot of people disrespected the BIG3 athletes because they thought they were retired. Maybe from the NBA, but not from basketball.
“The guys had honed their skills to ninja-like perfection and they deserve to have a stage to show that they still have the best basketball skills in the world, so giving them that platform was inspiring to me, but at the end of the day they were still getting disrespected and seen as too old to play, but for the most part that sentiment is gone now.
“They either know you can play at this level or not. It’s called the BIG3, not the Little 3. You have to come with your big game or be embarrassed out there.”
What the first year of the BIG3 was like
The league started with eight teams but was not tied to any specific home cities during its inaugural season in 2017. The league saw its first expansion to 12 teams in 2019 but switched back to an eight-team league with each team representing a city in 2025. Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago are among the cities represented this season.
Ice Cube indicated that the BIG3 isn’t against the opportunity to expand the league again.
“We want to expand,” Ice Cube said. “Eight teams is not enough; we want to go back to 12 and then 16. ... And continue to bring basketball to places that still want to see it between June and September. We are always looking to expand. We sold four teams already and are in talks to sell a few more. That’s been part of the plan.”
“It’s been a labor of love,” Ice Cube said. “I wanted more basketball in the summer. I figure there are a lot of people out there just like me who wanted more basketball before football. I’m a basketball and football guy. I love baseball, but there are a lot of games.”
How basketball players are extending their careers with the BIG3
The league has continued to provide an opportunity for basketball players, including some with NBA experience, to extend their playing career.
“Cube is such an entrepreneur and a smart businessman,” said Michael Cooper, a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and Miami 305 coach. “It's always nice to be around people like that. You learn from them and he's an ultimate fan. He loves basketball.
Cooper has been involved with the league since 2018 and used his basketball experience from his days as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers to serve as a head coach.
What notable names are coaching in the BIG3?
He is among a list of notable names serving as a coach in the league. Julius Erving, Gary Payton, Nancy Lieberman and Nick Young are also coaching.
Cooper is looking to become the second coach to lead a team to back-to-back league championships, joining Stephen Jackson, who still serves as head coach of DMV Trilogy.
What makes BIG3 different?
Cooper admitted he was skeptical about what to think about the BIG3 initially but now loves how it's managed to set itself apart from other basketball leagues.
“Cube treats the BIG3 like a rap concert,” Cooper said. “And I love that because there's music playing all the time.
The coach also cited in-game features such as “Bring the Fire” and the four-point shot.
The “Bring the Fire” rule allows each team, per half, the chance to contest a foul and put a player from each team in a one-possession 1-on-1 situation instead of shooting free throws or having the play reviewed.
If the offensive player scores during the 1-on-1 matchup, their team will earn the points (which can vary between 2 to 4 points depending on the context of the original play being challenged).
If the defender manages to get the stop, the call is overturned or removed in favor of the defensive team.
“It adds a different element that the fans love,” Cooper said.
The four-point shot also provides opportunity and allows for a team to never feel like they are completely out of a game.
“In our league, there's been games where we are behind, and we have a player hit back-to-back four-point shots in a row,” Cooper added. “That's 8 points right there. The players can get back in a matter of seconds.”
When is BIG3 postseason?
The Dallas Power, the Chicago Triplets, Boston Ball Hogs and Miami 305 have all clinched a playoff berth.
The league will begin its postseason on Friday, August 15, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
The championship game will take place Saturday, August 22, at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Inside Ice Cube’s BIG3 Boom: Playoffs, growth and big plans