By Ian Garcia
Ice Cube’s BIG3 basketball league held its third open tryout date Saturday as players competed for an all-expenses-paid trip to the BIG3 Combine in Las Vegas.
After stops in Dallas and Washington, the BIG3 made its way to Victorium in Scottsdale to evaluate some of the best players in the West. Players showcased their skills in front of league representatives, including BIG3 Director of Basketball Operations Thomas Scott and Arizona Wildcats legend Mike Bibby, one of the league’s inaugural team captains in 2017.
“This is a free chance to go out there and show your game to be able to play on TV, play against pros and be able to make some good money doing it,” Bibby said.
Following the league’s first-ever tryouts in Dallas and Washington last year, four of the 10 players selected to participate in the combine saw action throughout the BIG3 regular season. Devin Sweetney, who attended the Washington tryout, joined Trilogy in the middle of the season and won the 2021 BIG3 Championship.
With this year’s tryouts expanded to Phoenix and Chicago, Victor Evans and Mesa native Jaron Hopkins beat out 14 other players to punch their tickets to the BIG3 Combine on May 14.
“Throughout the day, they were consistent with the way they played,” said Dion Glover, a former NBA player and 2017 BIG3 champion. “They scored the basketball, they defended and played the right way. We don’t want a guy just shooting the ball every time. We want to see if they can pass, cut and make a play for somebody else. We thought those two guys did just that.”
Evans was pushed to try out by 2018 BIG3 champion and MVP Corey Maggette, a good friend and mentor of his. Evans originally flew from Los Angeles to attend the Dallas tryout on March 4 but did not make the cut. Wanting another shot at making the league, he took the shorter flight to Phoenix and is now one step closer to fulfilling his goal.
Mar 19, 2022; Scottsdale, AZ, United States; Mike Bibby walks the sidelines while athletes warmup for the BIG3 tryouts at Victorium.
The BIG3 is full of Hall of Famers, former All-Stars and NBA champions, which can be intimidating for prospective players. However, with his experience playing against top pros in the Drew League in Los Angeles and guidance from Maggette, a 14-year NBA veteran, Evans is up for the challenge.
Regardless of experience, players invited to the combine will have to prepare for the BIG3’s unique style of play, which was on display Saturday.
“Guys are hand-checking, throwing some elbows in the post and hooking on offense, so it’s an adjustment,” Hopkins said. “I’ve been playing in Europe, and it’s not really like that out there. They call a lot of ticky-tacks and intentional fouls. It’s physical out here, so you’ve got to play strong or you don’t belong.”
One of the league’s most intriguing aspects is how it encourages players to be themselves on the court, leading to games that are gritty and unfiltered.
“You’ve got to talk a little trash and be able to be physical,” Bibby said. “It’s not like NBA basketball where you go out there and anything is a foul. They let you play, so it’s like park ball. People talk trash out there, and it’s welcomed. You’re not going to get a technical for talking trash. That’s what people want to see.”
Now entering its fifth season, the BIG3 continues to prove it isn’t some sort of novelty act built on nostalgia. The league is exhausting every option to find the best talent available by going younger and recruiting international players as it continues to stake its claim as one of the world’s premier basketball leagues.
“The players and coaches make this thing really go,” Scott said. “I feel like it can go as far as the people we have involved want to take it and continue to want to be involved. As long as we can continue to get high-level players, continue to keep our stars that we have and the fans continue to embrace this beautiful league that we have, the sky’s the limit.”
The BIG3’s final tryout date is scheduled for April 9 in Chicago.