Four-point shot circles. A half-court setup. Three on three instead of five on five. An unfamiliar scoring system. A red “Fireball” bouncing around. When Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz founded The BIG3, it was a cultural curiosity dependent on supposedly past-their-prime star players leaning towards entertainment and some quirky competitive innovations. Now it is one of the most competitive leagues in the world, with no garage time developmental minutes played at half speed and lots of WWE promo-level trash talk.
Wait, most competitive? Yup. The investor-attracting BIG3 is filled with former NBA veterans like Joe Johnson, Greg Monroe, and Nick Young. Those guys are still in better shape than 99.95% of the world's hoopers, and several BIG3 players per year attract NBA attention. Heralded streetballers who never got their Summer League shot, guys like Franklin “Frank Nitty” Sessions, finally get to go heads up against their NBA contemporaries. Those personalities are also allowed to let loose while battling for the BIG3 title.
Rashard Lewis (16), Amir Johnson (14), Jason Richardson (13), Leandro Barbosa (13), Corey Brewer (13), Gerald Green (12), Michael Beasley (11), Jodie Meeks (11), Damien Wilkins (10), Mario Chalmers (9), Brandon Rush (9), Alonzo Gee (8) account for over 100 years of NBA experience and a handful of NBA Championships. Johnson, Monroe, and Young are good for another three dozen years.
There are another 100 years of professional experience sitting on the benches, both coaching and waiting to check in. FIBA-ranked European-based talent litters a few rosters to add a global touch. Nancy Lieberman and Lisa Leslie lead their BIG3 huddles with the same passion as a WNBA Finals or Olympics Gold Medal game. They've been to both by the way. Stephen Jackson, Julius Erving, and Gary Payton also roam the sidelines while shouting directions with the same vigor.
BIG3 Founder Jeff Kwatinetz is proud of what has been built so far and credits the high-character individuals involved at all levels.
“Every single one of our teams has a Hall of Fame or Champion coach, what other professional sports league can say that,” Kwatinetz asked ClutchPoints. “They’ve all played the best version of basketball – physical, no garbage minutes, real rivalries on and off the court – and dominated. We only hire the best, regardless of gender, age, race, experience, and that’s made our coaches the most successful; Nancy Lieberman and Lisa Leslie both won championships their first year's in the league.”
Kwatinetz's appreciation for how the game has developed is due in large part to the hands stewarding the process: The players and day-to-day executives.
“Over the past seven years, we’ve also watched our players learn the game, have real 3-on-3 IQ, and that has allowed them to be elevated into coaching positions in the BIG3 and in the NBA. We have the iconic Clyde Drexler as our commissioner, the first black commissioner in professional sports, and have the great privilege of building an athlete-centric league based off of the feedback from legends who have been involved in professional basketball for generations.”
Every fan of hoops can appreciate the knowledge of those universally respected names. Their seriousness and competitive credentials in the game of basketball are unquestionable. Anyone wanting to challenge that assertion can take up their claims with another BIG3 coach, Charles Oakley.
Money and Success following Money and Success in BIG3
There is value in getting an up-close experience, and the BIG3 fills that niche over 10 weekends. Now, it feels like the building momentum is leading to a watershed moment for the sport. It was evident at the May 24 combine and on the courts last season: These players and coaches compete. It's all they know and it's attracting attention. Investors are dropping $10 million on franchises, with Caitlin Clark even offered a $5 million deal.
BIG3 action is getting some over-the-air broadcast treatment as well. Their games will be on CBS and streaming on Paramount Plus as well as X (Twitter). The league has partnered with X to air live games, create exclusive content, give behind-the-scenes access, and carry all games outside of China and the USA markets. Getting a few million eyeballs worldwide each weekend is quite an accomplishment for any startup.
Those broadcasts are doing well growing year-over-year, as are the live attendance numbers. The BIG3 averaged 515,000 viewers each week on CBS, peaking at over 1 million during the playoff/championship/celebrity game weekend. That's better metrics than MLS and the NHL. According to the league's report, 51% of viewers were non-white (Black/Hispanic) and 45% were women. The BIG3 also averaged approximately 14,000 fans per week, which is slightly behind some MLS and NHL franchises.
P&G, Merck, Simply Spiked, and Capital One come on board as sponsors for the season. Verizon, Ruffles, Taco Bell, Walmart, Hershey, Hyundai, and Burger King renewed their deals. Monster Energy and Snickers are getting more involved with in-game activations. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has taken notice too. Ice Cube was honored with the inaugural Ice Cube Impact Award. This new honor acknowledges individuals making substantial contributions to their community through basketball. He is the only non-player to be in the hallowed hall in such a fashion.
So sure, the league led with a star-driven marketing campaign heavy on style points. Since starting up, the executives have steadily built a solid foundation able to rest on sporting merits over the past seven seasons. The BIG3 has already survived a pandemic but this still feels like it's just the start of something special in the sporting market.
BIG3 building on sporting merits to earn style points
The half-court, face-paced 3v3 game has been catching on globally and the BIG3 deserves a bit of credit for that growth. The ‘FIREBALL' brand of the game still uses a round ball and the hoop is still ten feet high. Pull up the scene from Hoosiers if you must. The reasons for launching the venture and the sacred parts of the game remain the same. That's why the BIG3 has found a lasting audience.
“This league was founded on providing opportunity,” Ice Cube explained. ” We want to make sure that anyone who can ball, no matter what your name is or where you are from, has a chance to show up and see if they can make it in the BIG3.”
That's exactly what happened at the BIG3 combine held at the Las Vegas Basketball Center. Division 1-2 level starters vied with the FIBA-ranked European-based talents for roster spots while fighting Division 3 level try-hards. The talent quickly separated from the tryout fodder just hours before the 2024 BIG3 Draft was broadcast live on Twitter from an exclusive MGM nightclub.
Hall of Famer and BIG3 Commissioner Clyde Drexler called the names and also complimented the hosting city which helped boost this into an invite-only Big Event.
“We are thrilled to be returning to Las Vegas for our draft and combine,” said Drexler. “Over the last few years, we've seen Vegas transform into a true sports hub that continues to draw more and more basketball talent. I'm looking forward to seeing what these athletes can do. You never know who will show up and where the next star will come from. That's the beauty of the BIG3.”
The 3 vs. 3 game is now in the Olympics. Practically every country with an interest in basketball has a competitive 3 vs. 3 setup. USA Basketball has a youth talent pipeline leading to the professional ranks of the small-sided game. Nike has launched a league and other shoe companies are expected to do the same.
Those are newcomers without marquee names though. The BIG3 has been in the 3 vs 3 space with a consistent message, fan-friendly events, and a marketable high-level sporting product for almost a decade. The expectation is the appreciating asset will continue growing for the foreseeable future. It's perhaps a little late to get in on the ground floor but it's time to start taking the BIG3 seriously if you haven't already.
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