Birthplace: Cheverly, MD
Height: 6'9"
NBA Seasons: 11
It’s safe to say that no rookie came into the BIG3 this year with more hype around him than former #2 overall pick Michael Beasley. League Co-Founder Ice Cube himself said “It’s been a dream of mine from day one to get Michael Beasley into the league and now my dream has come true.” That got people interested.
While Beasley didn’t completely dominate the BIG3 in 2022, he certainly showed the hype was warranted. He immediately showed that he can score from absolutely anywhere, including four-point range, and scored 21 of 3’s Company’s 25 points in his very first half of FIREBALL3. He slowed down a bit after that, but he eventually adjusted to the pace of FIREBALL3 and began complimenting his scoring with some wonderful playmaking, which allowed 3’s Company to really hit their stride just in time for the end of the season.
The 6’9 Beasley, a southpaw who can score in the post, from midrange, from deep, and attacking the basket, has spent the majority of his life traveling the globe as a walking bucket. Beasley went to six high schools. We don’t have statistics for each of the high schools he went to, but we know he averaged 30 points per game his freshman year at National Christian Academy. His sophomore year at Riverdale Baptist School in Maryland, he averaged 28 points
per game. He spent his junior year at the legendary Oak Hill Academy, and averaged 20 points per game there. He spent his senior year at Notre Dame Preparatory School, where he averaged 28 points and scored 64 points in a single game.
In his single year at Kansas State, Beasley won the Big 12 Player of the Year award while averaging 26 points and leading the NCAA in rebounds.
The baskets didn’t stop when Beasley got to the pros. Over the course of his 11-year NBA career with the Heat, Timberwolves, Suns, Rockets, Knicks, and Lakers, Beasley was always able to give his team instant offense. He never scored less than 15 points per 36 minutes, averaged over 20 points per 36 minutes six times, and once averaged over 25 points per 36. He had a 30+ point game in six of his 11 seasons, and put up a career-high 42 with the Timberwolves.
Beasley also spent a few seasons playing in China, where he continued to pour in baskets. In the two full seasons he played in China, Beasley averaged 28.6 points in the 2014-15 season and 31.7 points per game in the 2015-16 season, when he was named the league MVP.
Beasley comes into his second season with the BIG3 with as much talent as anyone – anything, including an MVP award, seems possible.