DETROIT – The Big3 is coming to the 313 this summer.
The 3-on-3 basketball league, co-founded by rapper and actor Ice Cube, tips off its eighth season on June 14 and welcomes the Detroit Amplifiers as a new franchise.
You can listen to our full interview with Ice Cube here.
Coached by Eastern Michigan icon and NBA Hall of Famer George Gervin, the Amplifiers are co-captained by seven-time NBA All-Star Joe Johnson and owned by the GameAbove Sports Group. The team will host a full league slate at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday, July 20.
“It was a no-brainer for us,” Ice Cube said about expanding to Detroit. “The stands are always full. People love to go out, look good, dress good and have a good time.”
The Big3 was created with good vibes in mind. The legendary entertainer is a huge sports fan and launched the enterprise to fill a void in the calendar with competition resembling fast-paced pickup games.
“I always wondered why [3-on-3] wasn’t professionalized and elevated like the NBA is,” Ice Cube said. “Kobe ends up retiring—that wasn’t a good feeling—and I was like, ‘why can’t he play?’ If he can score 60 points, you can play. You can’t do the NBA schedule no more.”
The Big3 schedule covers 10 weeks and multiple sites, culminating with a championship at a site and time to be determined.
Rosters will be locked in at the draft on May 15 in Las Vegas, although NBA veteran Dwight Howard is among the big names already committed to play.
“You’ve got to have an all-around game or you’re not going to be successful,” Ice Cube said. “You’re going to get cooked out there. You get to see everybody pull out every trick to get a bucket.”
Coaching staffs span decades and leagues, including NBA greats Gary Payton and Stephen Jackson and women’s basketball trailblazer Nancy Lieberman.
Although Ice Cube is a Lakers fan, he says the Pistons playoff run is a perfect primer for the next show on LCA’s hardwood.
“They all have grit and that’s what you need. You’ve got to have a chip on your shoulder. It seems like it’s back to Detroit Basketball.”
Tickets are on sale now for the Big3 at Little Caesars Arena.
You can view Ice Cube’s full interview with Local 4’s Sports Final Edition below.
2025 Big3 schedule
- June 14: Chicago (Triplets)
- June 22: Baltimore (DMV Trilogy)
- June 29: Miami (Miami 305)
- July 13: Boston (Ball Hogs)
- July 20: Detroit (Amplifiers)
- Week 6: Date/location TBD
- Aug. 2: Houston (Rig Hands)
- Aug 9: Los Angeles (Riot)
- Aug. 17: Dallas (Power)
- Championship: Date/location TBD
