Ice Cube’s Big 3 basketball league was formed in 2017 and has provided fans with some fun games over time. The league has seemingly broken the mold of others NBA competitors by embracing the 3 vs. 3 formats, as opposed to a standard basketball game that uses 5 vs. 5, hence the name.
Beyond that, the league has had a lot of success by bringing back NBA veterans who fans love. Names such as Allen Iverson, Joe Johnson, and Ron Artest have bolstered the league’s name value and have been the biggest superstars to play for the league. However, there are many other players that fans of the NBA may not know played in the Big 3.
10 Mario Chalmers
Mario Chalmers was never an All-Star, nor was he an excellent player. However, he still had a mostly solid run in the NBA, as the forgotten point guard during the Big Three era of the Miami Heat. In 2018, his NBA career seemingly ended, and he joined the Big 3 league.
He was drafted by the 3 Headed Monsters in 2019, where he played for two years until he joined 3’s Company in 2021. Chalmers’ Big 3 run was briefly interrupted by a 10-day stint with the Miami Heat last season, as they signed him due to having five players out with COVID-19.
9 Eddy Curry
Eddy Curry had a solid run in the NBA, as he played in the league for over a decade. He’s mostly known for his run as a member of the New York Knicks, where he played from 2005 to 2011, where he had one of the most overpaid contracts ever.
Despite not playing in the NBA since 2012, he has been active overseas. In 2019, he decided to enter the Big 3, where he played for the Killer 3s roster for his tenure in the league as a solid big man.
8 Kwame Brown
Kwame Brown is regarded as one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history. While he disagrees with that sentiment, he still had a mostly rocky run in the league, as he played from 2001 to 2013. During that time he put up mostly mediocre numbers.
However, Brown was actually a solid player in the Big 3 league. He was a part of the first season for the Three Headed Monsters, where he led the team all the way to the Finals. Sadly, they lost to Trilogy, robbing Brown of a ring.
7 Jason Williams
Jason ‘White Chocolate’ Williams was a fan favorite during his time in the NBA from 1998 to 2011. He was a solid scorer as he played for teams such as the Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, and Miami Heat. The last of which, he won a ring with, in 2006.
Many fans aren’t aware that Williams played in the Big 3, and it’s because his team in the league was brief. The fan favorite played just one game in the inaugural season, as he injured his knee badly, ending his basketball career for good.
6 Royce White
Royce White’s stint in the NBA was a strange one. He was drafted high in 2012 by the Houston Rockets, but issues with depression and anxiety, combined with an intense fear of flying led him to only play three games for the league.
However, White has been playing in the Big 3 since 2019 and has been a solid contributor to the league. The big man has found time to still be active and play for the league in between his stints as an MMA fighter and politician.
5 Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
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Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was like Steph Curry before Steph Curry. Granted, he wasn’t as good, but he was still an insane three-point shooter at a time when that didn’t really happen. Sadly, many fans overlooked his talent due to him kneeling for the national anthem, which was virtually unheard of in the 90s.
Despite being in his 50s, Abdul-Rauf still plays basketball professionally in the Big 3. He’s one of the best shooters in the league, especially at shooting the three. Some skills don’t fade with age, it seems.
4 Chris Andersen
Chris Andersen was a fan favorite during his time in the NBA from 2001 to 2017. The ‘Birdman’ was known for his unique look and his great ability as a big man. While never an All-Star, he was still a solid bench option for nearly two decades.
Andersen played in the Big 3 and joined the league in 2018 to play for Power. There, he won a ring, giving him two championships in his career. He was also a part of the 2013 NBA Champion Miami Heat.
3 Stephen Jackson
Stephen Jackson was a fun player to watch in his time in the NBA. While never an All-Star, he was a solid scorer during his nearly two decades in the league and even won a championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003.
In 2017, Jackson joined the Big 3 as a player, where he played alongside friend Chauncey Billups, and had the legend Charles Oakley coaching the team. After playing, he became a head coach for Trilogy in 2021, where he led them to become champions.
2 Greg Oden
Greg Oden has somewhat of a complicated legacy in the NBA. A former first overall pick for the Portland Trail Blazers, he’s mostly known as a Draft bust. Not because of his ability or play, but his injury issues that caused him to miss a lot of time.
In 2019, Oden decided to make a comeback to professional basketball after retiring in 2016. In the Big 3, the big man has played well and had a successful stint with the Aliens squad.
1 Nick Young
Nick Young was a fan favorite during his time in the NBA from 2007 to 2018. ‘Swaggy P’ was a solid scorer and known for a lot of his antics off the court. In 2021, the former NBA champion decided to play for the Big 3.
Young played for Enemies and was named team captain. Sadly, he hasn’t had a great stint in the Big 3 so far, as his first season was disappointing, and his follow-up campaign hasn’t been much better.