Former NBA players Al Harrington, Kenyon Martin Win The Inaugural Title, BIG3 Championship, The star-studded summer 3-on-3 league came to a close with Trilogy taking home the Inaugural Crown and Championship Trophy.

On January 11, 2017, Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz announced their new 3-on-3 basketball league at the Sheraton Times Square Hotel, in New York City.

The following are notable former NBA players who have played or coached in at least one BIG3 game. Notability is determined by receiving an NBA accolade such as being named to an All Star team, an All-NBA Team (including defense and rookie) or winning an award (6th man of the year for example).

2017 BIG3 Players

• Rashard Lewis
• Kenyon Martin
• Jermaine O’Neal
• Allen Iverson
• Mike Bibby
• Jason Williams
• Kwame Brown
• Chauncey Billups
• Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
• Larry Hughes
• Kendall Gill

Coaches

• Allen Iverson (Player and coach)
• Gary Payton
• George Gervin
• Julius Erving
• Rick Mahorn
• Rick Barry
• Clyde Drexler
• Charles Oakley (Player and coach)

Structure

There are a total of eight teams, all traveling teams. Each team’s roster will include five players and one coach per team, with allowances to swap players within the wider squad during the time off to allow for injuries or tactical changes. There will be an eight-week regular season resulting in an eight game regular season, as all games are on Sunday with a week off between contests. Games will be weekly quadruple-headers, with each team playing one of the other teams, held in a different locale each week.^[5] There will be two playoff games on week nine and a championship game on week ten.

2017 BIG3 BASKETBALL Rules

• Games are played on a half-court.
• Standard two- and three-point shots apply; the three-point line is the same distance as in the NBA.
• There are also three “four-point zones” on a circle 30 feet away from the basket. One is on the midline of the court; the other two are 40 degrees away from the midline. To score four points, a player’s foot must be touching some part of the circle.
• Instead of a jump ball to start the game, the “home” team inbounds first. The home team is determined by a do-or-die 4-point shootout.
• The shot clock runs 14 seconds.
• Additional free throw taken if a player is fouled while making a shot
• A shooting foul will receive one shot for the number of attempt point attempt (2, 3, 4 points, so if you are foul behind the three-point line, that free throw is worth 3 points.) AND-1 shots applies on every made basket after shooting fouls.
• All fouls are ascribed to the team; players cannot foul out. After the fifth team foul in each half, opponents are guaranteed two one-point free throws and possession of the ball.
• A team’s first technical foul results in one two-point free throw and possession. Additional technical fouls, as well as all flagrant fouls, result in two two-point free throws and possession.
• To win, a team must score 50 or more points and lead by at least two points.
• Halftime happens after one team reaches 25 points.
• Each team receives two timeouts—a 60-second and a 30-second—per half. Unused timeouts do not carry over.
• Substitutions can be made on a dead ball or by calling a timeout.
• After a score, a referee must touch the ball. After giving the defense :03 seconds to set, the opposing team must take the ball beyond the top out of bounds line. Player has :05 seconds to return ball inbounds
• Defensive rebounds must be cleared if the ball touched the rim. If the ball did not touch the rim, defensive rebounds do not need to be cleared.
• Steals do not have to be cleared.
• The ball is cleared when the player with the ball establishes both feet behind the 3-point line. The ball can be cleared by dribbling or passing
• The defensive rebounder that makes a direct pass that clears the ball, must clear the lane and re-establish himself before his team’s shot or pass hits the rim
• If a shot or pass hits the rim without being cleared it will result in a turnover
• Once a team has cleared the ball and establishes itself on offense, the normal “3 seconds in the key” rule applies
• There is no defensive “3-second” rule
• Instant replay applies and can be used to determine 3 and 4-point shots, out-of-bounds, flagrant fouls, goaltending, basket interference and clearance.
• All defensive strategies allowed, including hand-checking, which is banned in NBA.

2017 BIG3 Draft

The draft lottery was held on April 28, 2017 with Trilogy having the first pick followed by a player combine the next day. The actual draft took place on April 30, 2017 with 24 draft selections out of 70 draft entrants.

Draft selections

O’Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, actor, and Co-Founder Of The Big3 3-on-3 basketball league. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the seminal rap group N.W.A (Niggaz Wit Attitudes). After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he began both a successful solo music career and an acting career which included roles in films.

Ice Cube is one of the founding artists of gangsta rap, and much of his musical output has contained harsh socio-political commentary. He was ranked number 8 on MTV‘s list of the 10 Greatest MCs of All Time, while fellow rapper Snoop Dogg ranked Ice Cube as one of the greatest MC of all time.  AllMusic has called him one of hip-hop’s best and most controversial artists, as well as “one of rap’s greatest storytellers”.  In 2012, the source ranked him number 14 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time.  In 2014, About.com ranked him number 11 on their list of the “50 Greatest MCs of All Time”. 

Ice Cube has received nominations for several films in the past. To date, he has won two awards:

• 2000: Blockbuster Entertainment Award: Favorite Action Team THREE KINGS.
• 2002: MECCA Movie Award: Acting Award

Music awards

• VH1 Hip Hop Honors 2006
  • 2006 Honoree Snoop Dogg
• BET Hip-Hop Awards 2009
• BET Honores 2014