Former NBA journeyman Al Jefferson was one of the latest recruits to Ice Cube's BIG3 League. Recently, the 34-year-old veteran offered a hilarious explanation as to why he decided to sign up for the professional 3-on-3 league.
Al Jefferson on why he joined @thebig3: “Somebody told me I could play basketball on a half-court at a high level” 😂
— Tony East (@TEastNBA) June 23, 2019
At 6-foot-10 and close to 300 lbs, Jefferson did not exactly have the best motor in the NBA during his playing days, and perhaps he saw the set up of the BIG3 League as a perfect opportunity for himself at this point in his career.
The former 15th overall pick back in 2004 — one of the last players to have come straight out of high school — made his highly-anticipated BIG3 debut on Sunday as he helped his side, the Triplets, to a 50-40 opening day victory against the Aliens. Jefferson put up 11 points, one three-pointer, and three rebounds on the evening.
However, it was former Brooklyn Nets swingman Joe Johnson who led the charge for the Triplets, as the seven-time All-Star accounted for a game-high 27 points, three three-pointers, 16 rebounds, and four assists.
On the opposite side of the court, it was former Golden State Warriors wing Brandon Rush who top-scored for the Aliens with 13 points, along with three three-pointers, seven rebounds, and a couple of assists. Former top overall pick Greg Oden also made his BIG3 debut for the Aliens and accounted for eight points, six rebounds, and an assist.
As for Jefferson, he seems to have enjoyed his first game in his new league, and we expect him to put up some bigger numbers once he gets fully acclimatized.
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