One of the biggest downfalls of being a basketball fan is the summers are long with no ball to watch. Now I know right away WNBA fans will say, HEY, what about us? I hear you, it is a great product, it is just one that has not caught on to many NBA fans. But if you take a bunch of old NBA players and throw them out in the summer to play three on three, now you might have something.
At the beginning that was the feeling from the founders of the Big3 Basketball League, Rapper, entertainment icon, Ice Cube ( O’Shea Jackson)and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz came together to form the league. Now, the Big3 is surviving and good for basketball.
Big3 and The Beginning
The question is, why a league like this? Why three on three and half-court? Kwatinetz has an answer,
“We wanted a league that addressed the next generation of sports fans that want things faster and quicker and appeals to a youthful generation,” says Kwatinetz. “3-on-3 is a game that’s played everywhere in the world. It’s very accessible. There’s no reason why there shouldn’t be a professional version of it.”
But by far the Big3 is much more than a three on three tournament we all love to play in. To state the obvious they are comprised mainly of Retired NBA players. They are both in the player position or as many of the real old-timers, like Julius Irving, are in a coaching role. They are the stars of yesterday and to see them play just one more time is what fans want. The Big3 is bigger than a game though. They are also responsible for a few different changes to go along with the new league.
While watching a game we have all said at least once, “Naw, that shot was so far away that should be worth four points.” Well, now there is, the Big3 has a four-point shot and having this is critical in how a team plays. When a team is coming from behind or trying to hold a lead, it can be a game-changer. That is not all, in addition to being the first professional men’s league to have a female head coach, and win a championship. Nancy Lieberman, the coach of the Power Team led them to the 2018 championship. They are also the first professional league with an African American owner and Commissioner. The league is groundbreaking in many areas that sorely needed in 2019.
The Growth Of Big3
In year one the Big3 was an anomaly, fresh, something new. The fact that they had former NBA stars playing in their league and an entertainment superstar owning the league brought the people to the game. The play on the court and the excitement of this new type game, that kept us coming back. In the third year, the league has become much more. Players of all types are now in the league, former NBA players, guys wanting to get into the NBA and guys trying to get back into the league. That makes for a game that is played with intensity, fun and they mean something.
Guys like Joe Johnson that was in the league for a long long time are raining buckets in the Big3.
Rashard Lewis who is up there in years can go off for 20-10 on any night. Ice Cube has said to be also in contact with Carmelo Anthony trying to persuade him to join. The belief is he can show he still has his game. The game has developed its own following and is increasing in popularity. In its first year of operation, the league averaged roughly 11,000 fans a game. Compared to the second year, 2018, they improved to around 14,000. Consequently, the attendance in the third year has seen a dropped to around 10,000 a game.
This drop is okay as the league is finding an audience and a place to put the games on. Smaller Venues and a more attractive price may be the fix the league needs. Accordingly, for the rest of this year, they have dropped the price of tickets by 50%. But they seem to know what they are doing and the product they are putting on the floor is a good product. If they keep the pace and the game going in this direction the league should be around for many years to come. The Big3 surviving and good for Basketball.
