When Ice Cube announced he was starting a 3-on-3 basketball league, you knew it’d stay true to the game. When he recruited Allen Iverson, Ricky Davis, Jason Williams, Rick Barry and more, you knew it was legit.
Still, the hype machine needs to be kept fed. So every week, the BIG3 has released a new team — a name, captains and a logo. And … well, they’re pretty awesome.
Cuttino Mobley and Corey Maggette’s Power
These former teammates really need to bring Sam Cassell and Elton Brand into the fold to recreate that 2005-06 Clippers team that was so much fun. Either way, Mobley and Maggette will have a high-scoring team. The logo and name are a little bland compared to other BIG3 logos, but the team should be fun — especially if you’ve seen these videos of Mobley killing competition and looking like Uncle Drew.
Allen Iverson and DerMarr Johnson’s 3’s Company
Great name, great logo, great captain. But let’s not ignore Johnson. The Washington, D.C., native was one of the bigger busts of the 2000 NBA Draft, which was loaded with them, thanks to a horrible neck injury. But the 6-9 swingman then went on to have a long career in a variety of leagues, and it’s awesome that Iverson is bringing him on as a captain.
Jermaine O’Neal and Bonzi Wells’ Tri-State
OK, we don’t actually know what Tri-State means in this context, seeing as O’Neal is from South Carolina and Wells is from Indiana. But just the pairing of the former Blazers teammates is exciting. That logo? It’s like a hipper version of the NFL shield in a way.
Mike Bibby and Ricky Davis’ Ghost Ballers
This one might be our favorite logo. That ghost is like a combination of Boo from Mario World and the Scream mask.And it’s balling out with a headband. Plus, any team that has Ricky Davis can do anything it wants. The name Ghost Ballers is admittedly a little weird, though.
Kenyon Martin and Al Harrington’s Trilogy
Why has no one in the NBA thought to make a basketball cyclops? This logo is phenomenal, though its tie to the Trilogy name seems a bit odd. That basketball eye is just so angry — and a great reflection of Kenyon Martin’s toughness.
Chauncey Billups and Stephen Jackson’s Killer 3s
Easily the best packaging of name, players and logo. You have a 3-on-3 basketball league, you probably should have a team called the Killer 3s. This might as well be Team ESPN, since Billups and Jackson are regulars on the network, which means you can expect this team to be very visible. Don’t be surprised if “Captain Jack” shows up on The Jump with his jersey on.
Rashard Lewis and Jason Williams’ 3 Headed Monsters
This was the first team announced, and it’s easy to understand why. For one, there’s “White Chocolate.” But the 3 Headed Monsters theme plays perfectly into the league, that green is awesome and probably should be the jersey color, and there’s even a sleek secondary logo — a very pro move.
There are still three more teams — including Iverson’s — to be announced before the league goes through a draft where the captains select three teammates and a coach. But it suffices to say that this league has the image it wants as it prepares for its inaugural season.
