Ice Cube’s 3-on-3 basketball league BIG3 is getting a primetime slot on CBS and CBS Sports for its upcoming season, which kicks off on Saturday, June 22. The 11-week season will air on Saturday and Sundays on both networks. Both channels plan to broadcast a total of 20 hours of coverage, and an additional 25 hours of live game coverage on CBS Sports.
This is a huge win for the rap star/actor, who created one of the world’s premiere 3-on-3 leagues, which gives a chance to the older players in the sport to keep shining. Some of the legendary players who played last year on the league include: Amar’e Stoudemire, Drew Gooden, Nate Robinson, Stephen Jackson, Carlos Boozer, Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis, Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen, Rashard Lewis, Metta World Peace, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Corey Maggette, among many others.
The league’s new teams include the likes of Triplets, Enemies, Bivouac and Aliens, states a press release. “Since day one, BIG3 has always been about hard-nosed, fierce competition. Now we’re ramping it up with more teams, younger players, and a shiny new TV deal with CBS Sports,” Ice Cube said. “Our first two years were about showing that our vision was credible. This year is about taking the game to a whole new level. This is a big deal.”
I wanna thanks ALL THE FANS of @thebig3 As you know, it’s almost impossible to start a new league. So without your growing love and interest in the BIG3 we wouldn’t be going into season 3. So thank you. https://t.co/xVPtpa1y8l
— Ice Cube (@icecube) April 4, 2019
The California rapper made this initiative possible with partnering with Jeffrey Kwatinetz, who couldn’t be more elated to make this joint venture with CBS come into fruition.
“The enthusiasm of the BIG3 from sports pioneer Sean McManus and his team of, David Berson, Dan Weinberg, and Greg Trager was infectious,” Kwatinetz said. “The future is bright for the BIG3, and it’s an incredible advantage to build on the success of the BIG3 by partnering with the number one network and drawing off the experience of the team that broadcasts some of the biggest and most prestigious championship games in sports.”
On Wednesday, May 1, CBS Sports will air BIG3’s draft, where 120 players will compete for the 31 spots on the league’s 12 teams.