BIG3 is a 3-on-3 basketball league founded by American hip-hop artist and actor, Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz (former CEO of Firm Inc). The league consists of 12 teams, with both former NBA players and international players on their rosters. Big3 games have rules that differ from the official rules of 3-on-3 basketball as administered by FIBA.
BIG3 was founded on January 11, 2017. Former player Roger Mason Jr was chosen to be its inaugural Commissioner. Currently, Clyde Drexler (1995 NBA Champion with Houston Rockets) serves as the league’s Commissioner. In the first three years of the league, there were only 8 teams competing but in 2019, the league got expanded to a total of 12 teams. The league’s headquarters are in Los Angeles, California.
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Rules: –
Most of the rules of BIG3 are similar to that of the standard 3X3 FIBA guidelines. The rules mentioned below are unique to the BIG3 league: –
1) Half-court games are played.
2) Unlike the NBA, the league also features a 4-point zone, on a circle at a distance of 30 feet from the basket. To score 4 points, the player’s feet must touch any part of the circle.
3) Halftime occurs when one team scores 25 points.
4) Each team gets two timeouts per half, one 60 seconds and one 30 seconds.
5)Steals are not required to be cleared.
6) There is no defensive “3-second” rule; all defensive strategies, including hand-checking, are permitted.
The current minimum age to play in BIG3 is 22 years. In 2019 it was 27 years while during its first two years, the league maintained a policy of only letting above the age of 30 to play.
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Teams: –
Teams Coach Captain
3’s company Michael Cooper Mario Chalmers
3 Headed Monsters Reggie Theus Rashard Lewis
Aliens Rick Mahorn Dusan Bulut
Ball Hogs Rick Barry Leandro Barbosa
Bivouac Gary Payton Gerald Green
Enemies Gilbert Arena Nick Young
Ghost Ballers George Gervin Ricky Davis
Killer 3’s Charles Oakley Franklin Session
Power Nancy Lieberman Cuttino Mobley
Trilogy Stephen Jackson James White
Tri-State Julius Erving Jason Richardson
Triplets Lisa Leslie Joe Johnson
Every year, Big3 players are given the opportunity to nominate and vote for their teammates and coaches in a variety of award categories. The Big3 award winners are announced shortly before the championship game. Among the award categories are Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, 4th Man, and Defensive Player of the Year.
The four teams with the best regular-season records advance to the semifinals. The post-season in the league lasts two weeks. There are semifinals and a championship game. The Julius Erving Championship Trophy is presented to the championship winner.
Trilogy has the competition twice, 2017, and 2021 (most times). The league’s broadcast partner is CBS.
