The NBA is the world’s top basketball league. It consists of the world’s greatest basketball players and personalities. The league is composed of 30 teams: 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. The hometowns of these 30 teams are located across 22 states and one province.
The Big 3 is a 3-on-3 basketball league founded by hip-hop musician and actor Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz. The league consists of 12 teams, whose rosters include both former NBA players and international players. The Big3 believe that they have been treated unfairly by the NBA, which is now being investigated by the US Department of Justice (DOJ).
Why is NBA being investigated by DOJ?
The NBA is being investigated by the DOJ over allegations of obstructing the growth of the Big3 which is headed by rapper Ice Cube. The Big3 has accused the NBA of discouraging sponsors from working with the Big3 and TV networks from airing their games.
The Big3 was started by Ice Cube in 2017. It was mainly comprised of retired NBA players stepping on the court and playing three-on-three matches. Although the league takes place in the offseason, the NBA has prevented players from playing in the league. Many NBA owners have also said that they have been discouraged by the NBA from investing in the Big3 tournament. In addition to this, active league referees have also been discouraged from officiating in the Big3.
The US DOJ has been investigating these claims for months. Cube and his partner met with the DOJ lawyers along with a couple of active league owners who were contacted to participate in the investigation. If the allegations are proven to be true, the NBA could face significant fines. However, the NBA has denied these allegations and said that they had supported the Big3 but had chosen not to invest in it.
What is beef between NBA and BIG3?
Ice Cube has expressed his disappointment over the NBA treating them as competition and discouraging sponsors from supporting the Big3. “It’s really about not hurting us behind the scenes with sponsors and networks. Calling us “competition” in their bylaws is not right, and we want that not to say competition,” said Ice Cube in an interview with CBS Sports.
He further added, “So it’s just a little unfair… At a certain point, it’s really like if they don’t want to work with us I understand that, but doing some of the things they’re doing to hurt us is not cool.”
As long as the NBA sees the Big3 as a competition, the beef between them will never be resolved.
What are your thoughts regarding the beef between the NBA and the Big3? Feel free to share with us in the comments below.
