Basketball fans will have another way to get their fix without leaving their homes this summer. The BIG3, the 3-on-3 professional basketball league started by Ice Cube in 2017, will have its games broadcast live on CBS and CBS Sports Network for the upcoming season as part of a new partnership between the two parties.
“Since day 1, 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 in a statement. “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.”
CBS and CBS Sports Network will each air more than 20 hours of BIG3 coverage, according to the announcement. That will include regular coverage of games each weekend starting June 22, plus CBS Sports Network will air the BIG3 Draft on May 1 when over 120 eligible players will vie for just 31 available roster spots.
The league, which features many prominent former NBA players, appears to have had success in its first two seasons. It is expanding from eight teams to 12 teams this season, and plans are in store to visit 18 different cities. Getting onto national television, even if many of the games are relegated to cable on CBSSN, is another step forward.
The list of players set to participate in the BIG3 this summer will be impressive to anyone who followed the NBA in the 2000s. Returning stars include Amar’e Stoudemire, Stephen Jackson, Carlos Boozer, Rashard Lewis and 2018 BIG3 MVP Corey Maggette. New players joining the league this year include Gilbert Arenas, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Jefferson and Jason Terry.
The 2019 season kicks off June 22 at Toyota Center in Houston. The following week, the BIG3 heads to the United Center in Chicago for a four-game slate. Other cities on the schedule include Detroit, Miami, Toronto, Boston, Dallas and Brooklyn.
