As a person that loves sports, I was excited to hear that there was a new league coming to our television screens. I honestly did not know if it would work or not because the major sports leagues typically swallow the lesser known leagues. When I took in all of the particulars surrounding the league, I believed that it had a solid chance of survival. The business model surrounding the league is perfect and will ensure that fans are in attendance for years to come. Unlike other leagues with similar models, this one only uses players that have played at the highest level. This helps create a general interest in the league from the fan perspective because it gives them an opportunity to see their most beloved players hit the court again. I must admit, I watched the first season on FS1 a season ago and was intrigued with the way the game was being played so I knew I had to witness it myself when they were scheduled to play in my city.
With the game being held at the Toyota Center, that immediately let me know that this league is being taken serious. Upon walking into the arena, it felt no different than attending a Houston Rockets game. The concessions were in full swing and the arena was packed from top to bottom. The ticket pricing was marginal based on the value being provided by the experience. No other place can you see professional basketball players play four games for one price. The first game was a match-up between 3 Headed Monsters and Ghost Ballers. This game was a back and forth affair that saw 3 Headed Monsters prevail 50 to 48. The balanced attack from the 3 Headed Monsters was barely enough to overcome the Ghost Ballers two man show of Ricky Davis and Carlos Boozer.
The second game matched up 3’s Company vs Killer 3’s and it was virtually over before it started. The game got out of hand about 5 minutes into the game with 3’s Company never looking back. Drew Gooden, Baron Davis and Andre Emmett took turns forcing their will on Killer 3’s while Jason Maxiell and DerMarr Johnson cleaned up the mess to close out the game. The Killer 3’s is filled with a solid group of knockdown shooters but they could not connect and it finished their night earlier than expected.
Game 3 put the Ball Hogs against Power in a match-up that was fitting to be a great one. The game started with both teams going back and forth and making it interesting. DeShawn Stevenson and Andre Owens were leading the way for Ball Hogs while Corey Maggette and Glen Davis lead the way early for Power. The second half saw the Ball Hogs lose their ability to score and they were wiped away easily. From being down 2 points at the half to losing by 20 point was something that no one in attendance saw coming. Cuttino Mobley and Quentin Richardson woke up in the second half and helped Maggette and Big Baby run over the Ball Hogs. On another note, I was excited to see Josh Childress on the floor because he is a player that went ghost on the NBA and I have not heard about in years.
The fourth and final game brought us the match-up of the night with Tri-State facing the defending Big 3 Champions Trilogy. On paper, this was a heavyweight match-up that was billed as such by the league. What actually appeared on the court was a team that was still riding high from last year versus a team ready to claim their spot at the top. Tri-State came out smoking with David Hawkins, Jermaine O’Neal and Nate Robinson leading the way. This game was never close once Tri-State started clicking and no matter how many buckets Rashad McCants and James White made it was never enough. This game did not live up to the hype as Tri-State bullied Trilogy from start to finish and Nate Robinson delivered the dagger 3 to close out the game.
If you are in a city where the Big 3 is coming to in 2018, take the time out and go see some of your favorite players lace them up one more time. I was excited to see Amar’e Stoudemire, Ron Artest, Jermaine O’Neal, Kenyon Martin, Nate Robinson, Glen Davis and Baron Davis hit the court again. They all played with great energy and provided a great show for the fans. They all still have some game left and put it on display for all to see. Ice Cube has created a gem with the Big 3 and it will be around for many years to bring some added excitement to the summer.
