It was announced on Wednesday morning that NBA Hall of Famer Allen Iverson was suspended by the BIG3 for one game due to his unexplained absence from Sunday's game in Dallas.
League founder Ice Cube told Adi Joseph of For The Win that the decision to suspend Iverson was made in order to help instill some legitimacy to his creation.
“Well, we talked about holding up the legitimacy of the league and he knows that him not showing up hurts us,” Ice Cube said. “Who’s happy to be suspended? Nobody. But he understands that it’s a necessary step in the development of the BIG3 who don’t believe what we’re doing and what we’re going to do in the future. Our league is bigger than one man, and we’ve got Hall-of-Famers, champions, All-Stars, first-round picks, and we have to think about them. He understands that.”
If Ice Cube wants the Big3 to garner the respect and acknowledge that a legitimate league receives, this was a necessary step to take. This also shows that no player is above anyone else while in the process of keeping everyone accountable.
In essence, this sets the standard for what's expected going forward beyond just this initial season. As for Iverson, he has already issued a statement of apology for his absence from the game.
The suspension will force him to miss this week's game in Kentucky but will allow for him to be able to participate in Los Angeles the following weekend.
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