• Loading stock data...
Saturday, December 14, 2024

Big3 Challenges 3×3 Olympics Winner As U.S. Men’s Team Struggles

  • The Big3 president said any of his league’s 12 teams would win the gold medal.
  • He also claims that USA Basketball’s selection team is operating under bad faith.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Big3, the 3-on-3 pro basketball league cofounded by rapper Ice Cube (above), is issuing a challenge to whichever country wins the men’s 3×3 basketball event at the Paris Olympics.

“There’s 12 teams in the Big3, and any of the 12 teams would win gold,” Big3 president and cofounder Jeff Kwatinetz tells Front Office Sports.

The challenge issued to the eventual gold-medal winners is to face an All-Star team of Big3 players during the league’s finals in Boston on Aug. 18, the same time the league has its All-Star and Celebrity Game showcase. The league also plans to give a financial incentive to the gold medalists if they are able to defeat the Big3 contingent.

The challenge comes as USA Basketball’s 3×3 team has struggled in Paris, ranking seventh of eight teams after starting 1-4 in the tournament.

The USA Basketball team is composed of just one former NBA player, Jimmer Fredette, who was the top-ranked 3×3 player before the Olympics, while the remaining three players on the roster—Canyon Barry, Kareem Maddox, and Dylan Travis—were not drafted by NBA teams.

The Big3, which launched in 2017, features a slew of ex-NBA players, including former NBA All-Stars such as Joe Johnson and Jason Richardson. The top two teams in the Big3 standings so far in 2024 feature former NBA players such as Gerald Green, Jordan Crawford, and Corey Brewer.

Kwatinetz claims USA Basketball has avoided working with the Big3, in part because of its association with the NBA.

“USA Basketball is controlled by the NBA, and they don’t want the Big3 to get any recognition so they’d rather have the United States forfeit a gold medal,” Kwatinetz said. “It is disgusting that the NBA and USA Basketball put their own petty disputes above their country’s success in the Olympics.”

There are several requirements for players to be eligible to play for the 3×3 Olympic team, which include participation in FIBA-sanctioned 3×3 events. The Big3 is not a FIBA-sanctioned event, in part because it plays a modified 3×3 format.

Kwatinetz said his players are professionals and will not play in “pseudo-amateur events” to accumulate points. 

“If USA Basketball cared [about] winning gold medals for the United States instead of themselves, [then] in the same way that they let the NBA choose the 5-on-5 team, they would do the same thing with us and we would win the gold for the United States.”

USA Basketball did not immediately respond to a request for comment from FOS.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Sept 5, 2011; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins fans hold up a sign referencing Miami Hurricanes former booster Nevin Shapiro during the first half at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium.

Biden Commutes Miami Booster’s Ponzi Scheme Sentence

Nevin Shapiro gave Miami athletics millions of dollars in the early 2000s.
Mina Kimes and Ryan Clark at NFL draft

ESPN Talent Turns Its Fire on Aaron Rodgers

The network’s NFL talent ripped the QB as ‘hypocritical’ this week.
De'Vondre Campbell

49ers Set to Cut Starter for Refusing to Enter Game: ‘Stupid’ and..

De’Vondre Campbell refused to re-enter the game Thursday night.

NBA Cup Prize: Every Player Wants the Money, But One Would Get..

Each player on the championship team will win nearly $515,000.

Featured Today

The Top-Secret Operation to Create the Army-Navy Football Uniforms

The two-year process includes dozens of employees, NDAs, and military historians.
Nov 2, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Detailed view of a Wilson NBA basketball held by a referee during the second half between the Utah Jazz against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena
December 9, 2024

‘Obvious Weak Point’: Refs Remain an NBA Gambling Concern

A season after Jontay Porter, the biggest risk may not be players.
Nov 2, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines cheerleader runs with a flag before the game against the Oregon Ducks at Michigan Stadium.
opinion
December 7, 2024

College Football’s Billionaire Backer Era Begins

Is this the new normal in CFB recruiting?
LA Galaxy forward Dejan Joveljic (9) celebrates with midfielder Riqui Puig (10) after scoring a goal against Seattle Sounders FC in the second half in the 2024 MLS Cup Western Conference Final match at Dignity Health Sports Park
December 6, 2024

With or Without Messi, Major League Soccer Is Barreling Into the Future

After the Cup final, the league looks to accelerate its growth.
Indiana Fever forward Aliyah Boston (7) celebrates with Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) altering recording a triple-double Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Indiana Fever defeated the Los Angeles Sparks, 93-86.

The Meteoric Rise of Women’s Basketball in 2024

The business of women’s basketball exploded this year.
December 12, 2024

NBA Cup Schedule May Benefit Losing Teams, League Exec Defends Format

An NBA executive told FOS all stakeholders agreed on the format.
Dec 9, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) hoists the NBA Cup and celebrates with teammates after winning the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship game against the Indiana Pacers at T-Mobile Arena.
December 12, 2024

NBA Cup Year 2: Tweaks, Schedule Concerns, and Growing Pains

While Vegas has been the event’s location for the last two years, that could change because the NBA may add an expansion team in Sin City.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
David Bonderman
December 11, 2024

David Bonderman, Kraken Founder and Powerful Investor, Dies at 82

Bonderman was quietly a major figure in sports.
Oct 20, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie pre game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
December 11, 2024

Bills, Eagles, Dolphins Approve Adding New Minority Owners

Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady join the list of Bills owners.
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) walks to the locker room after the game of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Texans held off the Jaguars 23-20.
December 11, 2024

NFL, Nike Extend Uniform, Apparel Partnership Through 2038

Financial terms of the extension were not disclosed.
December 9, 2024

Soto Contract Echoes 2000 A-Rod Deal. Could Similar Fallout Follow?

The record-setting Soto deal recalls A-Rod 24 years ago.