On their way to the NBA, professional basketball players coming from all sorts of different backgrounds, ethnicities, and financial statuses likely participated in what is now one of the most popular sports: 3-on-3 basketball. In fact, the competition has gotten so serious, rapper Ice Cube has helped create the BIG 3 League, which features retired NBA players competing in a 3-on-3 competition. In addition to Ice Cube's league, FIBA has officially added a 3-on-3 tournament to the Olympic games starting in 2020 when Tokyo, Japan plays host to the quadrennial summer event.

On Sunday, Mountain Dew and the NBA completed the final stop in the six-city Dew NBA 3x tour across the United States. Following stops in Chicago (May), Miami (June), New York City (June), Washington D.C. (July), and San Francisco (August), Dew NBA 3x concluded in Los Angeles on September 30 and October 1. Los Angeles Lakers point guard Tyler Ennis, who had been impressing coach Luke Walton in the preseason, made a special appearance to check out some of the action, and he spoke to ClutchPoints about 3-on-3 basketball, the Lakers, as well as what his goals for this season are.

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Tomer Azarly: You've played both 5-on-5 and 3-on-3 basketball. What's the biggest difference in the gameplay?

Tyler Ennis: 5-on-5 is more team oriented. 3-on-3 is more of a 1-on-1 game. Obviously, 3-on-3 gets a lot more physical because you're guarding somebody by yourself rather than having help side defense and stuff. I've played 3-on-3 before, actually played 3-on-3 back in Toronto when I was younger a bunch of summers in a row so I know what it's about. It's always fun to go out and compete, when you're playing like this, you never know who you're playing so you've gotta be ready.

TA: what do you think the biggest necessity is in a 3-on-3 game is? Is it rebounding? Is it shooting?

Ennis: I think you need somebody who can score more than anything because obviously see that they take it right out the basket and keep going. I don't think it's possible to stop somebody one on one every time so if you're able to score more than them in this, then you'll be able to win.

TA: If you had to pick 2 players all time to play with you in a 3-on-3 competition, who would you pick?

Ennis: Uhh, Kobe and Shaq, I guess. You've got the rebounder and you've got the scorer.

TA: Ahh, sticking with the Lakers loyalty huh?

Ennis: Yeah, of course.

LeBron James Kobe Tyler Ennis
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TA: If you had to pick your all-time 3-on-3 players who would you pick?

Ennis: Well I'd pick Kobe, one of the best 1-on-1 players. Michael Jordan, obviously, it's kind of the same thing with him. LeBron, obviously, would be tough to stop.

TA: You've played NBA 2K before right?

Ennis: A little bit, yeah.

TA: Who do you play as? You play as the Lakers?

Ennis: (Laughs) I usually play as my own team. I don't, uhh, play-

TA: I'm not trying to get you in trouble or anything if it's not the Lakers.

Ennis: No, no (laughs). I don't play as much as, I guess, other guys would play, but when I do, I usually use the lakers.

Tyler Ennis Julius Randle
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TA: You guys had your first preseason game. What are your thoughts on the game, how you and the team played?

Ennis: Yeah I think it was good. First time getting out there, we have a bunch of rookies that played a lot of minutes, and that played well as well. For us, we're more worried about ourselves, rather than who we're playing, you know. As of right now, we're kind of focused about getting our stuff in. We have our offenses in but we've only been together as far as officially and healthy for like three days. We had a bunch of guys come back and work out throughout the summer by choice, but for the most part, as far as having coaches in and practicing, it's been less than a week. So I think to go out there and have that pace that we played with is good.

TA: For you personally, what's your goal for the season? What are you trying to get out of this season?

Ennis: Uhh, obviously I want to be better than we were last year as far as wins. We wanna win a lot more games. Get better, be more of a vocal leader just because I'm kind of one of the middle aged guys on this team coming from Houston where I was the youngest guy on the Rockets and now I'm more of the more experienced guys on the team.

But I think me coming off the bench, I definitely want to have one of the best second units in the league and that's what we're all focused on. We talked about it that's something that we want to it.

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TA: You find that transition difficult from being the youngest guy to an experienced guy who has to lead now?

Ennis: Nah, not really because I never looked at myself as a rookie. Freshman year in college, I was one of the leaders of the team. For me it was more I was just learning the NBA game. Being a rookie I didn't play as much as I'd like, so I was able to just kind of learn and take it all in. See guys like Isaiah Thomas, he was my veteran when I was in Phoenix. I was able to learn from a lot of great point guards so now I'm in a different position where I can continue to teach players.