Surprising how a nation that dominates at 5×5 basketball struggles so hard in 3×3 format. This was exposed wide open after Team USA got ousted from the Olympics with a 2-5 record in the group stage. Being one of the two teams to not make it to the knockout stage, the USA would want to forget this embarrassment. But remember just enough to not repeat. Amid measures pitched in for improvement herein, one name that emerged from the fans turned out to be Jamal Crawford.

A user on X mentioned the former NBA star, to question why he did not play in the 3×3 in the Olympics. According to the said X user, Crawford still has what it takes to win. “That opportunity wasn’t there for me. I would’ve for sure!!” the former New York Knicks star responded.

It was Team USA’s 21-6 loss against the Netherlands that prompted the fans to throw in their suggestions. One of the others included a fan suggesting three names – Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, and Carmelo Anthony

Even Johnson, popularly known as Iso Joe, for his isolation plays, agreed to the suggestion. “I’ll 4sho! Play…” he wrote in his IG story, responding to the suggestion. Considered as a dominant player in 1-on-1 scenarios, Joe also has experience in playing Ice Cube’s Big3 league.

However, the experience gained in the rapper’s league is not validated by FIBA’s rule for 3×3 basketball. No wonder that Ice Cube issued a challenge to any team who wins gold. “They got their a** kicked. They need our players, without a doubt. The whole world can see that,” the 55-year-old said.

Issuing the challenge, he stated whatever country wins the gold medal can come down to Boston on an all-paid trip and play against his league’s All Stars. But why can’t there be players from Ice Cube’s Big3? Let’s have a closer look at different factors impacting Team USA.

Why does Team USA continue to struggle in 3×3 basketball format at the Olympics?

The international governing body for basketball — FIBA — has specific requirements for the four players on the roster for 3×3 matchups. Of these 4 players, 2 should rank among the top 10 players of their country. Meanwhile, the other 2 players should rank within the top 50 players of their country. Players achieve these rankings by earning points from competing in sanctioned 3×3 events.

However, Ice Cube’s Big3 league that includes former NBA stars like Joe Johnson, Jeff Teague, and Michael Beasley does come under that FIBA-sanctioned umbrella. The wide opinion is that this is FIBA’s way of ensuring a level playing field, rather than allowing another one-sided domination of the USA in the sport that got included in the Olympics in 2017 itself.

Another reason that the nation finds it hard to present their best talent in the 3×3 format is that the 3×3 tournament schedule clashes with the NBA season. And no franchise would want to toss their stars into a 3×3 competition, whether on the 5×5 roster or not. But in either case, if the nation cannot put forward players like Johnson and Jamal Crawford, there needs to be a way figured out to avoid the embarrassment of the 3×3 format at the Olympics.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.