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David Becker/Getty Images for BIG3
Ready to watch former NBA stars and international stars play thrilling 3-on-3 basketball games? Well, you’re in luck, because the BIG3 are set to return for the 2022 league season.
The BIG3, which was founded by rapper/actor Ice Cube in 2017, kicks off its fifth season this weekend in Chicago, with three games scheduled for Saturday and three more for Sunday. The league has had 12 teams since 2019, when it expanded from the original eight.
It’s not like the NBA or most other sneakers you can find on TV. These are 3-on-3 half-court matches in which two teams (each with a roster of five players) attempt to be first to 50 points. The margin of victory must however be at least two points. And there’s only a 14-second stopwatch. Additionally, there are three deep areas where players can attempt four-point shots.
Here’s the full schedule for the BIG3 2022 season, along with rosters for each of the 12 teams and several players to watch this year.
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Week 1: June 18-19 (Chicago)
Week 2: June 25-26 (Chicago)
Week 3: July 2-3 (Dallas)
Week 4: July 8-10 (Dallas)
Week 5: July 17 (Dallas)
Week 6: July 23-24 (Dallas)
Week 7: July 30-31 (Dallas)
Week 8: August 6-7 (Dallas)
Week 9 (Playoffs): August 14 (Tampa)
Week 10 (Championship): August 21 (Atlanta)
Week 11 (All-Star Weekend): September 3-4 (Bahamas)
Weekly matches can be found on BIG3.com.
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3 headed monsters
Rashard Lewis (captain)
Jonathon Simmons (co-captain)
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (co-captain)
Ab Ndoye
Kevin Murphy
Coach: Reggie Theus
Company of 3
Mario Chalmers (captain)
Michael Beasley (co-captain)
Brandon Rush (co-captain)
Julian Wright
Alex Scales
Coach: Michael Cooper
aliens
Dusan Bulut (captain)
Karlis Lasmanis (co-captain)
Tomislav Ivosev (co-captain)
Deshawn Stephens
Adam Drexler
Coach: Rick Mahon
ball pigs
Leandro Barbosa (captain)
Jodie Meeks (co-captain)
Will McDonald (co-captain)
Stacy Davis IV
Kuran Iverson
Coach: Rick Barry
Bivouac
Gerald Green (captain)
Ike Diogu (co-captain)
Will Bynum (co-captain)
Corey Brewer
Jeff Ayre
Coach: Gary Payton
enemies
Nick Young (captain)
Isaiah Austin (co-captain)
Elijah Stewart (co-captain)
Sek Henry
Keith Benson
Coach: Gilbert Arenes
ghost ballers
Ricky Davis (captain)
Mike Taylor (co-captain)
Chris Johnson (co-captain)
Darnel Jackson
Jermaine Taylor
Coach: George Gervin
killer 3s
Session Franklin (captain)
Donte Greene (co-captain)
Josh Powell (co-captain)
KJ McDaniels
Dominique Johnson
Coach: Charles Oakley
Power
Cuttino Mobley (captain)
Nikoloz Tskitishvili (co-captain)
Royce White (co-captain)
Rice Glen
TJ Cline
Coach: Nancy Liberman
three states
Jason Richardson (captain)
Justin Dentmon (co-captain)
Larry Sanders (co-captain)
DaJuan Summers
Garlon Green
Coach: Julius Erving
Trilogy
James White (captain)
Earl Clark (co-captain)
Amir Johnson (co-captain)
Isaiah Briscoe
David Hawkin
Coach: Stephen Jackson
Triplets
Joe Johnson (captain)
Jeremy Pargo (co-captain)
Jannero Pargo (co-captain)
Alonzo Gee
ryan hollins
Coach: Lisa Leslie
3 out of 3
Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Joe Johnson, triplets
Johnson was one of the best players in BIG3’s brief history. He only played two seasons (2019 and 2021), but he was the league MVP in each of them. “Iso Joe” also led the Triplets to a championship in his first season in 2019.
Last year, Johnson averaged 22.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, with each of those stats improving from his BIG3 rookie season. It’s clear the 40-year-old still has some basketball talent in the tank, and he should be fun to watch again in 2022.
Leandro Barbosa, Ball Hogs
Barbosa made his BIG3 debut in 2021 and immediately became one of the best players in the league. His 169 points ranked second to Johnson (182), while he also led the BIG3 with 34 assists and tied Johnson with a league-high 16 three-pointers.
Barbosa, 39, is now the Ball Hogs’ captain and he will be looking to lead them to their first playoff appearance in team history. If he plays like he did in 2021, he could get there.
Glen Rice Jr., Power
Rice was the first overall pick in the 2022 BIG3 draft, joining a Power team led by captain Cuttino Mobley. Rice may have only played 16 NBA games over two seasons from 2013 to 2015, but he’s had plenty of success overseas.
Still at just 31, Rice could be a rookie to watch in the BIG3 this season. It looks like he’ll be fine on Power’s roster.
Michael Beasley, Company of 3
Another BIG3 recruit to watch this season will be Beasley, who joins 3’s Company for 2022. He is a co-captain alongside captain Mario Chalmers, his former Miami Heat teammate.
Beasley has put up some solid numbers during his 11-year NBA career, and the 33-year-old has a skill set that just might translate to the BIG3. So expect a solid performance from him in his first season in the league.
