There’s still seven months until the start of the second BIG3 season, as Ice Cube’s 3-on-3 league wrapped its inaugural season back in August, but the fledgling hoops league is already working towards making some big additions for Year 2.
The BIG3 announced earlier this fall they would be adding an extra roster spot for a co-captain on each team, to allow teams to sign more big name players, and on Monday we got some big news regarding a new signing, as well as some old faces returning to the league.
Metta World Peace is headed to the BIG3 next season, joining the Killer 3’s squad led by Stephen Jackson and Chauncey Billups.
The Killers 3s have made the first major move of the BIG3 off season with the signing of their new co-captain: Ron Artest aka Metta World Peace. The announcement marks the first of eight anticipated co-captain signings, as the league previously announced expanded rosters in 2018 with each team adding an additional co-captain. Artest, who legally changed his name to Metta World Peace will play under his former moniker, a name with a storied NBA history including a Championship title, an All-Star nod, and a Defensive Player of the Year Award. He joins Chauncey Billups and former Indiana Pacers teammate Stephen Jackson on the Killer 3s.
As the release notes, the seven other squads will announce new co-captains over the course of the offseason (and if last year’s rollout of names is any indication, they will be unveiled slowly throughout the next six months). The league is hopeful to add even bigger stars, with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant as three of their dream signees.
As for the BIG3’s marquee star from a year ago, who caused plenty of controversy and conversation, Allen Iverson will be back with 3’s Company, but only as a coach, rather than his designation of player-coach last year that saw fans get upset when he rarely touched the floor as a player.
Of other note, DeShawn Stevenson will also be back as part of the 2018 BIG3 Draft player pool, and the winners of the inaugural BIG3 title, Trilogy, led by Kenyon Martin, Rashad McCants, and Al Harrington, will keep their entire roster together, exercising their option to do so as the reigning champs.
