BIG3 DEBUTS EIGHT ALL-NEW LOCATION-BASED TEAMS IN TRANSITION TO HOME MARKET MODEL FOR SEASON 8

BIG3 Announces New Franchises in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, DMV, Houston, Los Angeles, and Miami

LOS ANGELES, March 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the BIG3 announced that for the first time, the teams participating in the 2025 BIG3 season will each represent a city as the league transitions to a fully location-based model this summer. The league's eighth season, which tips off on June 14, 2025, will feature eight all-new teams representing Boston, MA, Chicago, IL, Dallas, TX, Detroit, MI, the DMV metropolitan area, Houston, TX, Los Angeles, CA, and Miami, FL, and those teams are:

Boston Ball Hogs – Coached by Gary Payton
Chicago Triplets – Coach To Be Announced
Dallas Power – Coached by Nancy Lieberman
Detroit Amplifiers – Coached by George Gervin
DMV Trilogy – Coached by Stephen Jackson
Houston Rig Hands – Coached by Calvin Murphy
Los Angeles Riot – Coached by Nick Young
Miami 305 – Coached by Michael Cooper

"This is a landmark moment in our league," said BIG3 Co-CEO Ice Cube. "These cities have shown up for us year after year and we are honored to represent and reward those fans with a new franchise of their own. The basketball energy in these cities is unmatched, and we've seen first-hand the power of their fanbases. Transitioning to a full city-based model for this season is another marker of the league's continued exponential growth, and fans can expect an increased talent pool and a more competitive style of game than ever before. And this is just the beginning; we hope to add four additional expansion markets in 2026. Basing teams in these fantastic cities for the first time is a privilege and we know that these teams will represent their local fans to the highest ability and provide the best 3-on-3 basketball in the world for years to come."

Across the first seven highly successful seasons, the BIG3 operated under a touring model where all teams were centrally owned by the league, featuring an incredible roster of players and coaches that included world champions, Hall of Famers, Olympic stars, and breakout rookies. The league is now starting fresh with these eight teams, and each will feature a new roster with player and coach pairings never seen in the BIG3 before. Each team will also receive a home game in the summer of 2025, with the full season eight schedule to be released next week.

"While throughout its history the BIG3 has generated millions of fans for the league, we found it challenging to create fans for specific teams that were not aligned with cities," said BIG3 Co-CEO Jeff Kwatinetz. "We've found a way to overcome that challenge for season eight, and are therefore debuting all new teams, every one of which represents a city. While some of our beloved team names and logos including 3's Company, Enemies, Killer 3's, Tri-State, Ghost Ballers, Aliens, Bivouac, and 3 Headed Monsters are put on hiatus for now, we would love for them to make a comeback in the future."

"The league has always attracted players that want to do more – to play harder, to get more involved with their communities, and to get closer to the fans that have supported them throughout their entire careers," said BIG3 Commissioner Clyde Drexler. "Our players and coaches have such deep ties to a number of these cities and getting an opportunity to deepen those connections even further by basing their team in that city is a task they hold in high esteem. What's good for our fans, is good for our players, our coaches, and the league at large. This transition will lead to an even more competitive league, and I have no doubt that our game will continue to be played at the very highest level"

To be the first to hear when the BIG3 is coming to your city, go to BIG3.com and follow @thebig3 on X and Instagram.

ABOUT BIG3:
On January 11, 2017, the BIG3 was born. The first-ever professional FIREBALL3 league is the brainchild of producer, actor, and music legend Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz, who shared a vision of a player-centric league focused on entertainment and innovation. The BIG3 is a league with no garbage minutes, where trash talk is allowed, defense is emphasized, fast-paced action, and where every point –whether it's a 4-point or 3-point shot – counts. Any given BIG3 team has hall of famers, icons and trailblazers, and the next best 3-on-3 player.

The league has led the sports industry in diversity and opportunity, becoming the first professional sports league to implement a mental health policy, favor CBD as a pain management alternative to opioids, enlist female coaches of men, and appoint a black Commissioner in Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler, who is also professional sports first former player serving as Commissioner. The inaugural CEO was the legendary, incomparable Raider executive Amy Trask. This January 2024, BIG3 co-founder Ice Cube was honored at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, where he received the inaugural Ice Cube Impact Award, acknowledging individuals making substantial contributions to their community, the first non-player to be recognized. Founders Ice Cube and Jeffrey Kwatinetz are missioned to better society as BIG3 pursues business success while also helping to break down stereotypes, promote diversity in sports, create opportunities for black, brown, and female athletes beyond the court, and support the black, youth and basketball communities overall.

CONTACT:
Hannah Palacios, BIG3 (hannah@big3.com) 

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SOURCE BIG3