Ice Cube’s BIG3 Returning To CBS As Stephen Jackson Calls Out Lack Of Support
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Ice Cube’s BIG3 league will return to CBS Sports, as the network will serve as the primary broadcast partner for the 2024 season. CBS Sports will air at least 20 BIG3 regular season games, as well as the league’s playoffs, championship, all-star and celebrity games.
The Hip-Hop icon, movie producer, and league owner celebrated the continuation of the league’s partnership with CBS as he voiced his excitement for the upcoming season. “CBS feels like home for the BIG3, so it’s good to be back home,” the 54-year-old said. “The best 3-on-3 basketball in the world on the best network in the world. It’s only right.”
Dan Weinberg, Executive Vice President, Programming CBS Sports, spoke glowingly of the league, which has grown in viewership, attendance, and popularity during its six seasons of operation. “BIG3 continues to deliver an exciting brand of basketball to a passionate audience in addition to the work they do on behalf of players and the community,” Weinberg added. “We look forward to the BIG3 returning to our slate of action-packed summer programming on CBS and Paramount+.”
News of the BIG3’s return to CBS comes weeks after it was revealed that the Department of Justice is currently investigating the NBA for allegedly conspiring to undercut the success of the BIG3. According to a report by TMZ, the league is accused of attempting to dissuade sponsors, television networks, athletes and referees from working with the league.
This past summer, Cube publicly lashed out against the NBA and ESPN, accusing the league and network of working against his efforts. “Ever since I put out the contract with Black America, you know they been f**king with me. Here and there, this and that,” the West Coast legend said at the time.
“But it’s cool, you know, I expect that. You know I’ve been working on the BIG3 for a long time and you know how they’ve been f**king with me. I’ve done made it plain, simple and clear what they’ve been doing. The NBA’s been f**king with us.”
Following news of the DOJ’s investigation, former NBA star and current BIG3 head coach Stephen Jackson took to social media to blast those who have failed to support Cube or the BIG3 over the years. “Sh*t makes no sense. I’m first-team all-common sense,” the NBA champion said at the time.
“When it came out on social media that Cube was the first black owner of a professional league, everybody wanted to post up for clout, nobody actually wanted to come out and show up to the games. Everybody was clout chasing.”
Jackson, continued adding “Cube was going on, doing interviews saying how everybody was hating the league, blocking his sponsors. [He said the NBA was hating. Nobody believed him, now it’s coming out to be true. It makes sense if all the coaches in the BIG3 are Hall-of-Famers and a lot of the players are ex-players from the NBA, why wouldn’t you support that? Oh, I know why. We all know why.”
The seventh BIG3 season will tip off in the summer of 2024 on Saturday, June 15, and conclude on Sunday, Aug. 18.
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