When rapper Ice Cube and mogul Jeff Kwatinetz first created the BIG3, they had high hopes for the league. The plan was to recruit as many ex-NBA players as possible to appeal to the masses, while simultaneously getting the best talent possible out on the court.
So far, the BIG3 has performed to expectations. Prolific ex-NBA players have played in the colorful, whacky jerseys of the league, including Amar'e Stoudemire, Mike Bibby, Chauncey Billups, and Jermaine O'Neal, among others.
In the championship game won by BIG3 MVP Corey Maggette and Power, viewership numbers were impressive. According to Paulsen of Sports Media Watch:
The game was the highest rated and most-watched telecast in the two-year history of the BIG3, topping the previous highs of 0.6 and 921,000 earlier this season. To put the numbers in perspective, the game would have ranked 159th out of the 171 NBA regular season telecasts on ESPN, TNT and ABC last season. Compared to other summer basketball events, the game outdrew all of this year’s NBA Summer League games, every WNBA telecast since 2008, and every game in the history of The Basketball Tournament.
This is great news for the creators of the league. If viewers are tuning in to watch ex-NBA and overseas players over future NBA players and highly touted prospects that perform in the Summer League, something is obviously going right.
The league breathes life into players' careers that were once thought to be over. While some of these guys are definitely done with the NBA, a strong showing in the BIG3 could lead to an NBA contract.
It's good to see that more people are watching the game of basketball, no matter what form it's in.
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