Ex-NBA stars form 3-on-3 tournament

NEW YORK — Standing at a lectern in a Midtown Manhattan hotel on Wednesday, the rapper and actor Ice Cube lamented seeing a favorite NBA player retire before his abilities had completely faded.

“It’s like losing a loved one or a best friend,” he said.

That feeling led Ice Cube to start the Big3, a new league that will pit former professionals against one another in three-on-three basketball.

Ex-N.B.A. stars like Mike Bibby, Chauncey Billups, Rashard Lewis, Kenyon Martin and Jermaine O’Neal are among those who have agreed to play.

But the league’s biggest asset is probably the charismatic Allen Iverson, who will be a player-coach. At the league’s unveiling on Wednesday, he swatted away a question provoking him over his famous “practice” comments of 2002, saying with good-natured scorn, “You should have been a little more original than that.”

The Big3 will be a travelling league: All eight teams will head to a city for four minigames on the same day. Games will be played on Saturdays, starting June 24 and continuing through the summer, which the league sees as a fertile season.

“The summer is boring,” Ice Cube said. “There’s nothing on. It’s cool to see Drew Brees throwing passes in practice, but who really cares?”

Asked to name their dream teammates, Iverson selected Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, Lewis chose Tracy McGrady and Tim Duncan, and Martin picked Jason Kidd and Kevin Garnett. Asked to choose an all hiphop lineup, Ice Cube listed Snoop Dogg, Kevin Hart and the Game.

(The New York Times)