A couple of weeks after getting sued for $250 million by Champions Basketball League (CBL), Ice Cube's BIG3 basketball has now fired back to their competitor with a counter defamation lawsuit.

The CBL – a relatively unknown startup 5-on-5 basketball league – slapped the BIG3 with a major suit earlier this month for allegedly stealing ideas and poaching players. It specifically asserted that the 3-on-3 tournament did not allow players who agreed to play for both leagues to participate in CBL games, which prevented the latter to start their inaugural season on time.

In a copy of their countersuit obtained by Deadspin, however, the BIG3 denied the accusations and cited that CBL's claim is “patently false and defamatory” and was just intended to malign them.

Additionally, the BIG3 insisted that no player was prohibited from honoring prior commitments with the CBL and went as far as to saying that the three players who did have a prior dealing with the said league were permitted to play as they have a “non-exclusive relationship with the BIG3” in their contracts.

Besides defending themselves on the allegations, the BIG3 also labeled CBL CEO Carl George a “serial con-artist, fraudster and ponzi-schemer,” who has a “sordid history of filing for bankruptcy” and “frivolous lawsuits.”

There's no word yet from the CBL regarding this latest issue.

For what it's worth, however, this ongoing legal battle certainly won't help both leagues. After all, the BIG3 is just coming off a successful first season while the CBL is yet to start after numerous struggles to get off the ground.