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Boston is getting a BIG3 basketball franchise. Here’s what Ice Cube said about it.
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BIG3’s Boston Ball Hogs announce pre-draft roster
The
BIG3’s Boston Ball Hogs
are set to make their TD Garden debut Sunday evening.
Boston.com caught up with league co-founder and entertainment mogul
Ice Cube
ahead of the matchup.
Ice Cube touched on a range of topics, including what to expect this weekend, an update on the “Friday” movie series, and what Lakers fans think about the Celtics having to break up their roster.
The interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
The BIG3 is back in Boston this weekend. How are you feeling?
“I feel great. I’m living the dream. Being in Boston is extremely smart for the BIG3 because Boston has been great for us. We wanted to play here every year. Now, having the Boston Ball Hogs, that gives us an excuse to come back here every year. Hopefully, multiple times per year in the future as we play more games.”
The All-Star game and the championship round were here last year. It seemed like a success
,
right?
“Yes, and the year before that. Coming out one year, Jaylen Brown got a chance to check us out and ended up playing in the All-Star game in London. That was a big moment for us. The Celtics have been great to us, personally. Just very accommodating. It’s just been a great fit.”
This is going to be our first time seeing the Boston Ball Hogs (1-2) at home. What should people expect?
“Hopefully a win. They’re going up against Dwight (Howard) and the LA Riot, so you might have some “Beat LA” chants pop out here and there. But, at the end of the day, they’re coached by Gary Payton. He’s a championship coach. He won the championship last year with another squad. So, hopefully they’ll put it all together.”
We know “The Glove” from his playing days, but what is Gary Payton like as a coach?
“His coaching style is no-nonsense. He’s not going to pat you on the back for doing what you’re supposed to do, but he is going to kick you in the [expletive] for not doing what you’re supposed to do. You’ve got to step up to play for Gary Payton.”
Payton Pritchard said he’d like to see half-court heaves count as 4-pointers in the NBA. The BIG3 already has 4-point shots. What does that add to the game?
“It adds a wrinkle that you can’t see in professional basketball anywhere else. It adds excitement. You’re never out of a game with those 4-point circles. I think the half-court is too far. Our circles are 30 feet. That’s a nice long shot.
“We didn’t do an arc because we felt it may be too many attempts. You don’t want guys to just take the ball out and start heaving them from everywhere. The circles make sense because it keeps the attempts manageable and you can defend a circle. You can’t defend an arc. Guys can’t even get out to the 3-point arc sometimes, let alone the 4-point arc.”
If you had to put together a dream BIG 3 of retired Celtics, who would your three be?
“Larry Bird, of course. Bill Russell. I’d need a guard. Give me Tiny Archibald. (Paul) Pierce can ball, I think him and Larry kind of take up the same space, but I’ll take Larry.”
How do Lakers fans feel about the Celtics having to break up their team under the financial constraints of the new CBA?
“That’s the problem in sports right now. BIG3 has a rule that if you win the championship, you have to run it back. No drafts, same squad, bring it back. The other teams can draft, but you have to run it back with the same squad. I think fans want to see that. They don’t want to see championship teams break up. The Lakers do that all the time, win the championship and then dudes are gone. It’s maddening to a fan.”
How do you balance that, wanting parity and knowing that you grew up on dynasties like the Celtics and Lakers in the 80s? Aren’t dynasties part of what makes the game great?
“You want a standard to be established that everybody is chasing. Too much parity starts to be too much of a toss-up. There should be a standard set and usually the championship team sets that standard. Breaking them up, to me, is not keeping the standard. It’s actually like throwing the baby out with the bath water.”
How cool was it to see Gerald Green win the BIG3 title with Bivouac at TD Garden last year?
“It’s amazing. We put this league together because we wanted more basketball. The summer is boring when it comes to sports. If you like basketball and football, you’re just waiting. But, I never really considered how much this would help their mental health and their ability to fulfill dreams still.
“You don’t stop dreaming because you’re out of the NBA. You dream as long as you’re alive. These guys still have accomplishments that they want to get on the basketball court and to give them that stage to get a championship in the BIG3, I know that was special for him.”
Could you explain some of the aspects of the BIG3 that are unique/interesting?
“You’re going to get four games for the price of one. That’s one thing. We play the game the right way, and that’s appreciated. It’s fast and physical.
“You’ll recognize a lot of the stars that are playing and coaching, and if you want to get an autograph from them, nobody is going to tackle you and ban you from the arena for life. It’s a fun atmosphere, a lot of entertainment from dancers to DJs to dunkers. It’s like a mini-All-Star game.”
Any updates on “Last Friday”, the latest installment in your Friday movie series that is reportedly in the works?
“We’re about to get in a room with some great, smart, funny people and create a masterpiece.”
How are you going to work around the fact that some of the original cast, (including Bernie Mac, John Witherspoon, and Tiny Lister Jr) are no longer with us?
“The same way you get around it when people that you love are out of your life. You’ve got to address it, accept it, and move on.”
Do you have a target date in mind?
“No targets, there’s no reason to put pressure on ourselves. When the food is ready, everybody is going to eat.”
You’ve got a lot going on, including a new music tour. Tell us about it.
“It’s the Truth to Power tour. Four decades of attitude. I’ve been doing this for 40 years, I started rapping in the ninth grade, so I was 14. So, it’s been a minute. There’s been a lot of music between then and now and it’s time to celebrate it. It’s time to reflect and wrap it up in a bow and do a big production around it.”
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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