Ice Cube’s BIG3 basketball league is returning this summer. On Saturday (May 1), Cube posted the dates for the eight-week regular season, which will be followed by one week of playoffs and a championship game slated for Sept. 4.
When a fan on Twitter randomly asked if anyone knew whether the rapper’s premier global basketball league was coming back this year, Cube responded with the 2021 schedule. The BIG3 unveiled its dates in early April. The season kicks off Saturday, July 10 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The games will air on television with CBS broadcasting a majority of them throughout the season.
Cube and his co-founder Jeff Kwatinetz started the league in 2017. It’s grown significantly since then and has adopted an avant-garde style of basketball called Fireball3 — which is very different from the style of play in the NBA and FIBA. In its inaugural season, former NBA veteran Rashard Lewis won the Most Valuable Player award and his team, the 3 Headed Monsters, won the championship. Due to the pandemic, BIG3 cancelled its 2020 season.
This year, the minimum age limit was reduced from 27 years old to 22. They’re also welcoming non-professional ballers and encouraging them to attend public tryouts in Washington, DC on May 22 and in Dallas, TX on May 27. Former NBA champion Nick “Swaggy P” Young recently signed a deal to become the captain of the Enemies — a team coached by retired NBA all-star Gilbert Arenas. The 3-on-3 league plans to work with local health and safety officials to determine fan capacity.
“After a challenging year, we can’t wait to have our players back on the court for the best BIG3 season yet — where the world’s top competitors came together on one court and provide fans with an unmatched entertainment experience. We are excited to bring the BIG3 to two basketball rich cities and we know our players will put on a show,” said BIG3 co-founders Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz in a statement.
https://www.revolt.tv/news/2021/5/2/22415982/ice-cube-big3-return-in-july