ATLANTA — A basketball league that's become something of a must-see staple for hoops-deprived fans in the middle of the NBA offseason is bringing its big finale to Atlanta.
The Big 3 league - which is associated with some huge names, such as coaches like Julius Erving and Lisa Leslie and players including ex-NBA stars Jason Richardson and Gerald Green - will celebrate the conclusion of its fourth season with a championship weekend extravaganza at State Farm Arena this month.
The face of the league, actor and rapper Ice Cube, spoke to 11Alive Sports Reporter Reggie Chatman ahead of the Aug. 21 championship - which will also the league's All-Star Game and a celebrity contest beforehand.
"Atlanta's hot, it's Hotlanta, you gotta come there with a show," Ice Cube said in an interview, explaining the league's decision to bring the championship festivities to Atlanta.
The All-Star Game and celebrity game are a new addition to the championship event that will be debuted for the first time in Atlanta. They replace what used to be a third-place game. The All-Star Game will take place at 2 p.m. on Aug. 21, right ahead of the 3 p.m. start of the championship game.
"End of the day we felt like making that an All-Star Game is a better show for the people in Atlanta, it's a better show for television - our best players on display, right before our championship game. It's just us reading the tea leaves and understanding... we really wanna give people what they want," Ice Cube said.
Tickets went on sale for the final on July 29.
There are still four teams in contention to reach the championship round - with the playoffs taking place this weekend in Tampa. They include:
- Trilogy: Led by Isaiah Briscoe (played briefly with the Orlando Magic in 2018-19), who was second in the league in scoring and longtime NBA veterans Amir Johnson and Earl Clark, as well as coach Stephen Jackson.
- Aliens: Serbian guard Dusan Bulut led the league in assists, and their coach is Pistons great Rick Mahorn.
- 3 Headed Monsters: Their big names include the league's leading scorer and Atlanta native Kevin Murphy, two-time NBA All-Star Rashard Lewis, Nuggets legend Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and coach Reggie Theus, who was also a two-time NBA All-Star.
- Power: Featuring Glen Rice Jr. (third in the league in scoring) and former NBA first round pick Royce White (third in rebounding and assists). They've also got former Rockets star Cuttino Mobley and basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman as their coach.
"We got our best players on display," Ice Cube said.
The "Boyz N The Hood" star also gave a shout out to the local NBA team and the face of Atlanta basketball - Trae Young.
"I definitely love Trae - I mean he's a great exciting player to watch, definitely a fan," he said. "Especially cause he's 'Ice Trae.' I mean, Ice Trae, Ice Cube, go together like peanut butter and jelly man."