Former Detroit Pistons Allen Iverson and Chauncey Billups have committed to be a part of a new 3-on-3 basketball league. The new league will feature half-court games and will be headed up by rapper turned actor Ice Cube.
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Iverson, Billups, K-Mart involved in new BIG3 summer league— Hockeyman (@hockeyredwhite) January 11, 2017
Iverson told ESPN that joining the league was an easy one and that he’s excited to contribute to the success of the league.
“When I got the call it was a no-brainer, it’s Ice … you don’t turn that down,” Iverson said at a news conference in New York on Wednesday to introduce the league. “That’s success looking you right into your eyes. I just wanted to be a part of it and I hope that me being a part of it makes it a success like everything he’s been doing in his life.
I’m going to put my effort into it to make sure it can be as big as ever.”
https://twitter.com/balleralert/status/819339652012314625
The new league will function as a bit of a “Senior Tour” for the NBA. Other players committed to play include Chauncey Billups, Jason Williams, Kenyon Martin, and Rashard Lewis.
League organizer Ice Cube told Yahoo Sports recently that the concept of the league is dedicated to watching players of past generations continue to perform.
“I thought of this concept as a fan who got sick of seeing his heroes retire and not play anymore,” Ice Cube told The Vertical. “A lot of these guys can still play once they retire – just not the back-to-backs or four games in five nights.
“I started to look at three-on-three basketball and wondered, ‘Why isn’t this played on a pro level?’ It’s the most normal form of basketball. And from there it was like, ‘Yo, why don’t we make this happen?’
“Not only do we get a chance to see these guys keep playing, but we give guys who retired who still got some game – who don’t want to pick up a [microphone] on TV and who don’t want to go overseas to play … some of these guys still want a stage to play on.”
#BIG3 aims to be "…the most player and fan centric professional sports league." -Roger Mason Jr.
— BIG3 (@thebig3) January 11, 2017
Who knows if this new league will be a success, but, we’re all for watching Pistons greats take the floor again! Games are set to begin on June 24, 2017.
