A tectonic shift in the format of the BIG3 will bring the three-on-three basketball circuit founded by Ice Cube to Los Angeles this summer.
For the first time, the teams will each represent a city as the league transitions in its eighth season to a location-based model. Teams will represent Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Washington, D.C. and — yep! — L.A.
Los Angeles’ team will be called the LA Riot. The coach will be loquacious former Lakers and Clippers guard Nick Young — a.k.a. Swaggy P — whose Southland roots run as deep as those of Ice Cube. Young starred at USC and Reseda Cleveland High before embarking on a 12-year NBA career that involved a whole lot of shooting, a handful of assists and a constant trail of lively quotes and hearty laughs.
Young often is a riot.
“I’m super excited,” Young told The Times. “Right now, we are the third-best team in L.A., soon to be second hopefully. We gotta win some championships. It’s gonna be fun. Come out and support us this summer. LA Riot — great name. BIG3 is on the rise.”
Ice Cube recognizes, however, that not everyone will consider the team name a laughing matter. His album “The Predator,” released in November 1992, was a pointed hip-hop response to the L.A. riots after four police officers were acquitted by a Simi Valley jury six months earlier despite being caught on video beating Rodney King.
In an email to The Times, Ice Cube said he supports the team name the new owners came up with.
“They chose the name LA Riot because it represents the resilience, passion, and unbreakable spirit of Los Angeles,” Ice Cube said. “This city is built on energy, culture, and a drive to challenge the status quo — just like the BIG3.
“The name embodies the disruptive nature of the league, the competitive grit of their team, and the deep connection they have with the people that make up the rich, eclectic and passionate communities of L.A. They’ll say it themselves; the Riot are here to shake things up, bring a new level of excitement to the game, and give this city a team that reflects its bold identity.”
Ice Cube was a member of the groundbreaking Compton-based rap group N.W.A. along with Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, MC Ren and and founder Eazy-E. He morphed from hip-hop musician into a mainstream movie and television actor, director and producer, and lives in L.A. with his wife of 33 years, Kimberly Woodruff.
And since 2017 he’s been a league executive after creating BIG3, which plays a short season of weekly games involving every team at a given location. The Riot, for example, will host one day of three or four games and play the rest of the two-month season on the road.
Coaches are the biggest names in the league, and Young joins a fraternity that includes Naismith Hall of Famers Gary Payton (Boston Ball Hogs), Michael Cooper (Miami 305), George Gervin (Detroit Amplifiers), Calvin Murphy (Houston Rig Hands) and Nancy Lieberman (Dallas Power) — the only female head coach of a men’s pro basketball team. Stephen Jackson coaches the DMV Trilogy and the Chicago Triplets have yet to hire a coach. The BIG3 commissioner is Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler.
Rosters will be filled during a BIG3 draft in May. Many BIG3 veterans played 10 or more years in the NBA, making it a bit younger than, say, the 50-and-over PGA Tour Champions. Rosters are full of ballers whose best days are behind them but who can shine in the half-court format.
That’s what Ice Cube, 55, envisioned from day one, but he’s not above employing marketing savvy to raise awareness. Ahead of last year’s WNBA draft, he offered Caitlin Clark $10 million to play in the BIG3 for two seasons — this in a salary structure that pays most players $10,000 per game over a seven-game season.
The BIG3 has introduced rules and concepts to make the game fan-friendly. Winners are the first team to 50 points. The three-point line is the same distance as in the NBA, but a longer shot counts as four points. A foul can be challenged by the “Bring the Fire” rule once per half, with the two players going one one one to determine its validity.
Ice Cube expects the L.A. fan base to thoroughly enjoy the basketball, and the spectacle.
“L.A. has one of the richest grassroots basketball histories in the world, from legendary leagues like the Drew to the city’s pro dynasties,” he said. “The L.A. team plans to tap into that legacy and create a full-day celebration that feels like a true neighborhood block party. Whether it’s partnering with local nonprofits, spotlighting community vendors, artists, and performers, or building programming that reflects the real Los Angeles, from the court to the concourse, they intend to make LA Riot the people’s team — authentic, inclusive and built for the city.”
Ice Cube founded the BIG3 with his longtime collaborator, media and talent manager Jeff Kwatinetz. After seven years of teams being unaffiliated with cities, the BIG3 moved to the location-based model to build fan loyalty and is selling the franchises to local owners.
The price tag is $10 million, and four franchises have been purchased so far, including the LA Riot by Shawn Horwitz, co-founder and CEO of Palm Drive Associates, a private equity firm focused on real estate and sports ownership.
“As a lifelong basketball fan and entrepreneur, I saw an incredible opportunity to bring the excitement of the BIG3 to Los Angeles — one of the greatest basketball cities in the world,” Horwitz said in a statement. “This franchise isn’t just about the game; it’s about community, culture, and giving fans a new way to experience the sport they love.”
The season is set to begin June 14 and will last two months, followed by two weeks of playoffs. Ice Cube is already looking ahead.
“The basketball energy in these cities is unmatched, and we’ve seen first-hand the power of their fan bases,” Ice Cube said. “Transitioning to a full city-based model for this season is another marker of the league’s continued exponential growth, and fans can expect an increased talent pool and a more competitive style of game than ever before.”
The next step is to go international.
“We’ve played in London, Toronto, and the Bahamas in previous seasons, and are still eyeing cities like London and Toronto for additional franchises,” Ice Cube said. “We have also entered into a partnership with the NBL in Australia and will be bringing our game over there in November.
“Best-case scenario for us is to continue to grow our style of game and have a number of BIG3 leagues running year-round in different countries around the world.”
