Big 3 League: Tri-State Favourites to Win in 2018
Ice Cube’s Big 3 League is entering Week 4 of its second season. It’s a 3-on-3, eight-team league featuring mostly retired NBA players. The inaugural season was won by Trilogy, which defeated the 3 Headed Monsters 51-46 in the finals. Rashard Lewis of the 3 Headed Monsters was named league M.V.P.Basketball should be a year-long sport. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. While the World’s professional basketball leagues are currently taking a break for their off-seasons, hoops fans get their hardwood fix wherever they can.
The Big 3 League is more than a novelty sports event tipping its hat of the days gone by. The half-court action keeps things fresh and exciting. The offense can get pretty crazy, with four-point zones set 30 feet away from the basket. The 14-second shot clock ensures that the game does not slow down to a crawl, which is a risk when two defensively minded teams face off. The streetball-inspired gameplay has become a breath of fresh air and is riding in tandem with the growing popularity of the FIBA 3-on-3 games, which are currently being dominated by the Serbian team.
Here is a quick look at the Big 3 League standings after three weeks of action.
- Tri-State 3-0
- 3 Headed Monsters 3-0
- Power 2-1
- 3’s Company 2-1
- Killer 3’s 1-2
- Ball Hogs 1-2
- Ghost Ballers 0-3
- Trilogy 0-3
It’s a bit of a surprise to see defending champions Trilogy at the bottom of the barrel. They are not out of the running just yet but they definitely have their work cut out for them if they want to be repeat champs.
As things stand, it appears that Tri-State is the favorite to win season two at +250. Their core of Jermaine O’Neal, Amar’e Stoudamire, and David Hawkins, who is a candidate to win this year’s MVP award, looks very formidable. And with the coaching of NBA Legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Tri-State is in a good spot for a strong run at the title. The 3 Headed Monsters are looking to shed their bridesmaids’ dress and be the stars atop the podium in 2018. They have the second-best odds of winning the championship at +350.
David Hawkins has been a huge, not-so-secret weapon to Tri-State’s success. He’s kind of under the radar because of the lack of name recognition, but the guy can ball. He’s the team’s leading scorer at the moment and is slowly gaining some love from the fans.
“I’m the least known here,” Hawkins said Friday night, after he scored a team-high 20 points as Tri-State knocked off the Ball Hogs to improve to 2-0. “When they call my name in the introductions, I get no claps. But by the end of the game I want to be known and that’s my goal – first of all to win and then to get my name out there.”
Can he carry Tri-State all the way to a Big 3 League title? It’s a strong possibility. However, in a league like this one, almost anything is possible, and watching those possibilities unravel alongside the excellent basketball action is all part of the fun.