Just when you thought you couldn’t possibly be more psyched about Ice Cube’s new 3-on-3 league, BIG3, they go and release an updated list of all the former NBA All-Stars who have currently signed on to participate (in one capacity or another), along with even more details about how the whole thing will work.
Here’s the list of guys we know for sure will play in the tournament so far, via Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype.com:
- Chauncey Billups
- Allen Iverson
- Kenyon Martin
- Stephen Jackson
- Jermaine O’Neal
- Rashard Lewis
- Jason Williams
- Mike Bibby
- Bonzi Wells
- Al Harrington
- Ricky Davis
While there will be some player-coaches, the league will also boast a handful of NBA legends on the sidelines:
- George “The Iceman” Gervin
- Gary Payton
- Clyde Drexler
- Rick Barry
- Rick Mahorn
The league also has a number of free agents who will be determined via the league’s draft. There are some huge names on this list, which includes Kenny Anderson and Latrell Sprewell:
- Kenny Anderson
- Jamario Moon
- Smush Parker
- Ruben Patterson
- Etan Thomas
- Latrell Sprewell
- J.R. Rider
- Earl Boykins
- Brian Cook
- Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
The league is set to kick off at the end of June, and it will feature eight teams that will play four games each Saturday in cities across the country over a 10-week period. Game action will abide by most of the same three-on-three rules we all grew up on, with a few minor variations.
The half-court games will start with a half-court shootout to determine who gets first possession, and on every possession change, players have to clear the ball back behind the arc, except in the case of a steal. The court will also feature a four-point circle. The winner will be the first one to 60 points, and teams have to win by four.
To determine the roster, each team will have a captain and co-captain, and from there, they’ll conduct a draft to select their five-man teams. For instance, Chauncey Billups is the captain of one particular team and has selected Stephen Jackson as his co-captain, while Rashard Lewis has selected Jason Williams to helm another team with him.
This league is hitting a sweet spot with fans who still want to see their favorite players in an era that is remembered fondly by nostalgia enthusiasts. All-Stars litter the rosters, and even the coaches are former stars. But you can’t have a league full of former All-Stars. You need the other guys too – and Jamario Moon, Ruben Patterson, Earl Boykins, and more have their own moments to look back on. It’s the perfect mix of dudes in the right time period where we are always watching YouTube highlights anyway.
With All-Star weekend coming up, there’s even a mini 3-on-3 tournament organized by Mountain Dew with some of the players listed. It’s a trial run, sure, but the hunger is there. Don’t be surprised to see 3-on-3 in more All-Star events down the road, and the format continuing to grow.
The BIG3 league organizers are also working on landing a television deal, though there has been nothing definitive yet on that front. That said, it’d be a shock not to see it televised in some form.
