EVERY GAME LIVE AND AVAILABLE ON BROADCAST & STREAMING PLATFORMS
TUNE IN ON SATURDAY ON CBS AND PARAMOUNT PLUS AT 2:30 PM EST FOR TRIPLETS VS. TRILOGY, WHICH WILL BE FOLLOWED BY BIVOUAC VS. 3’S COMPANY, WITH 3-HEADED MONSTERS VS. GHOST BALLERS FINISHING THE DAY.
ON SUNDAY, THE GAMES WILL START AT 3:00 PM EST. YOU CAN WATCH THEM ON VYRE OR DAZN, TWO STREAMING SERVICES THAT HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE BIG3. YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THEM HERE:
Note: As this is the opening week of the season, all records shown will be from the 2021 campaign.
YOU CAN ALSO WATCH ALL 3 OF THE SUNDAY GAMES ON THE BIG3 YOUTUBE CHANNEL.
GAME 1: TRIPLETS VS. TRILOGY
This is our Game of the Week, so check that out for an in-depth look. Suffice it to say that these teams won the last two BIG3 Championships (Triplets in 2019, Trilogy in 2021). This game will see the defending BIG3 Champion Triplets going up against Trilogy, who will be led by reigning MVP Joe Johnson. We’re starting the season off with a bang.
GAME 2: BIVOUAC VS. 3’S COMPANY
I don’t think you need me to tell you that Bivouac is looking to improve on their results from last season. Fortunately for them, they have a new Captain and a new coach. 12-year NBA veteran swingman Gerald Green, known for his high-flying exploits and silky-smooth outside stroke, will lead Bivouac on the court, while Hall of Famer Gary Payton will be replacing Reggie Theus as the man calling the shots from the sidelines.
3’s Company had a better year than Bivouac last season, but I doubt they were satisfied with how their season turned out. Fortunately for them, the cavalry has arrived in the form of Michael Beasley. It’s safe to say Michael Beasley has more hype around him than any BIG3 rookie this season. Will Mario Chalmers and Michael Cooper, who have seven NBA Championship rings between them, be able to take full advantage of Beasley’s talents and put 3’s Company into championship contention? Saturday’s showdown with Bivouac and Green, who has as much intrigue surrounding him as any BIG3 rookie with the exception of Beasley, will be an excellent litmus test.
GAME 3: 3-HEADED MONSTERS VS. GHOST BALLERS
The 3-Headed Monsters have been one of the most consistently successful teams in the history of the BIG3. Even though a league Championship has eluded them, they’ve made the playoffs every year, and have always been contenders. This season, the team will have to deal with changes. Reggie Evans, the best rebounder in the history of the BIG3, a dominant interior presence in general, and a no-doubt member of the league’s Mount Rushmore, is out for the season with a hand injury. And as mentioned above, Gary Payton and Reggie Theus have traded teams, meaning Theus will be the man with the clipboard for 3HM this season. Nobody doubts Theus’ coaching ability, but it will certainly be an adjustment for Captain and inaugural MVP Rashard Lewis and Co. to adjust to a new coach after so many years of success under Payton.
The Ghost Ballers, led by Captain and walking bucket Ricky Davis, will be looking to improve on the .500 record they posted last season. Mike Taylor, who suffered a devastating injury that destroyed the Ghost Ballers’ chance at the playoffs last season, is back in the lineup, and George “The Iceman” Gervin is ready to lead his team into contention.
SUNDAY:
GAME 1: ALIENS VS. ENEMIES
This is an interesting one. After a disappointing 2021 campaign, Rick Mahorn and the Aliens are attempting one of the more audacious experiments in BIG3 history this season by essentially going all-in on international players. Dusan Bulut will serve as team Captain this year, and fellow FIBA 3×3 veterans Karlis Lasmanis and Tomislav Ivosev will be serving as his co-captains.
In his BIG3 rookie season with Power, Bulut showed off some serious game and immediately established himself as one of the better players in the league. Can the most Euro-heavy team the league has ever seen get it done with Rick Mahorn, “The Baddest of the Bad Boys,” calling the shots from the sidelines? I’m very excited to find out.
As for the Enemies, they have Nick “Swaggy P” Young serving as their captain, Gilbert Arenas serving as head coach, and hyper-versatile Isaiah Austin serving not just as their big man but as one of the faces of the BIG3’s youth movement. 2021 was a disappointing year for Enemies, but they have the talent to bounce back. We’ll see if they can start their season off on the right foot against the Aliens’ stock of European talent.
GAME 2: KILLER 3’s VS. BALL HOGS
The Ball Hogs have yet to make the BIG3 playoffs or even post a .500 season, but I have a feeling that’s about to change. Leandro Barbosa came into the league like a house on fire, leading the BIG3 in assists and coming in second in scoring behind Joe Johnson. He’ll be the Captain of the team this season, with Jodie Meeks returning to the team to serve as his co-captain. With the legendarily no-nonsense Rick Barry patrolling the sidelines and the ebullience and skill of Barbosa leading the team on the floor, this could be the year the Ball Hogs break out.
Their first test will be the Killer 3’s. Franklin “Frank Nitty” Session will try to keep his title as the BIG3’s most consistent source of highlight plays, while the 29-year old defensive dynamo KJ McDaniels will hopefully hold down the floor on defense while the Killer 3s’ high-powered backcourt fills up the rim. They will be helmed by Charles Oakley, who is legendarily no-nonsense himself – a staring contest between him and Barry could be as exciting as anything their players will be able to make happen.
GAME 3: POWER VS. TRI STATE
2018 BIG3 Champions Power, coached by living legend Nancy Lieberman are looking to bounce back from a .500 season and regain their championship form. They’ve added three key players to help them get back on top of the mountain. There’s Nikoloz Tskitishvili, a true 7-footer with a beautiful 3-point stroke who was once the #5 overall pick in the NBA Draft. There’s Glen Rice Jr., a hyper-athletic slasher who Coach Lieberman made the #1 overall pick in the 2022 BIG3 Draft. Finally, the team added TJ Cline, who at 6’9 is a skilled big man who should be quite familiar with Coach Lieberman’s system – she is his mother, after all.
The new-look Power’s first test will be a stiff one, as they’ll go against Tri State, who, along with Triplets and the 3-Headed Monsters, finished the 2021 regular season with the best record in the league. Captain Jason Richardson will be a game-time decision, so Co-Captain Justin Dentmon and rim protector extraordinaire and reigning BIG3 defensive player of the year may have to carry the team if they wish to spoil the debuts of Power’s three new players. Guiding Tri State will be the one and only Julius “Dr. J” Erving.
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