League
Ice Cube Talks BIG3 Expansion Hopes, NBA Partnership And 2028 Olympics
By Mark Medina - Forbes Contributor. NBA reporter August 9, 2026
He sat in a private room reflecting on his success as a hip-hop mogul, a movie star and the BIG3 co-founder. Considering Ice Cube’s life-long ambitions, it seemed expected he would maintain a bold vision regarding his summer 3-on-3 basketball league.
“With the right capital injected in the right areas, we can do a lot more and be one of the biggest leagues in the world,” Ice Cube told me. “We’re not just looking at the U.S. We’re looking worldwide.”
About nine years after co-founding the BIG3 with entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz, Ice Cube has already witnessed the BIG3 extending its reach.
Each year, BIG3 has increased its representation. They have retired NBA stars (Dwight Howard) and former NBA role players (Mario Chalmers, Michael Beasley, Lance Stephenson, Montrezl Harrell, Jordan Crawford, Greg Monroe, Corey Brewer). They have former NBA/WNBA luminaries as their coaches (Julius Erving, Michael Cooper, Nancy Lieberman, Rick Mahorn, George Gervin, Gary Payton, Stephen Jackson, Nick Young). They have a former NBA star as its lead commissioner (Clyde Drexler).