Ice Cube Credits Kobe Bryant’s Iconic Game, Reveals Real Motive Behind Starting BIG3 League

Some may have stated him a tough person to deal with, Kobe Bryant was still an undoubted inspiration for many. Turns out, his impact was not limited to aspiring athletes. Ice Cube recently revealed how the LA Lakers icon inspired the genesis of his Big3 league. The 3 on 3 basketball league was founded by the 55-year-old rapper and his partner, entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz. The league has stayed quite popular for its format and landing popular names. But how did Ice Cube land the idea of involving retired NBA stars in his league? 

It was all 5x NBA champ Kobe Bryant and his last game proficiency. Appearing on ‘The OGs’ podcast, the rapper revealed he was always a fan of 3-on-3 basketball. Watching multiple small scale 3×3 tournaments, O’Shea Jackson wondered if he could take this to a pro level. He then discussed the idea with his partner Kwatinetz, which got the two developing ideas around the concept. 

“But what kicked us over the top was Kobe scoring 60 points in his last game. Now, we was like, if a dude can score 60 points in his last game, he got so much game left,” he said on the podcast.

And thus came the idea for a platform where the retired NBA stars could display the game left in them at a professional level. But still, there were a lot of discussions that went into conceptualizing the ideas for the league. As stated by Ice Cube, the whole of 2016 was about discussion on the league’s visualization and rules.

“So we spent 2016 calibrating the idea, and then we start talking, you know, the real OGs… Iceman, Clyde Drexler, Doctor J, is this a good idea? Would you be a part of this? Gary Payton, Chauncey Billups, Jermaine O’Neal, Bonzi Wells. You know, we talking to all,” Ice Cube recalled.

After getting a nod of approval from the above mentioned stars, Jackson and Kwatinetz launched the league in 2017. Notably, Kenyon Martin became the first NBA star to sign for Big3 — a move that Ice Cube believes built the credibility of the league. “Been rolling ever since… We got the best professional three on three basketball league in the world…” he claimed. 

How has the Big3 been doing recently?

As per the reports, the 6th season of the league in 2023 witnessed higher viewership. According to data provided by the league itself, the week one viewership averaged 483,000 on June 25, 2023, while week two averaged 501,000.

By the fourth week of 6th season, the league recorded a 0.31 rating and 600,000 average viewership. As stated by ‘Sportcal’, this was a 46 percent rise from the 412,000 viewers and 0.26 rating in the same weekend time slot in 2022. “We’re thrilled to see this continued interest and growth as we start season six. It’s a testament to the highly competitive and entertaining product we put on the court each week…,” Ice Cube said back then.

“Our fans have been eager to get back to experiencing the Big3 in person. Their energy and excitement have been palpable in each city so far,” league co-founder Jeff added. Notably, the Big3’s 7th season commenced last weekend itself, but can it surpass last year’s viewership record?

Stay tuned for more such updates. And to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, had to say about the marketing genius, watch this video.