Ice Cube criticizes NBA and media for neglecting Big3 league

Ice Cube, the rapper and co-founder of the Big3, a pro basketball league, expressed his dissatisfaction with the NBA and mainstream sports media over the way his league is being covered. In a video posted to his Twitter account, Ice Cube accused the NBA and sports media of intentionally excluding his league. He claimed that the Big3 does not have any partnership with the NBA, and he does not care to work with the NBA. Ice Cube also said that he would continue to voice his displeasure over the course of the summer on a podcast tour while continuing to promote the Big3. Ice Cube has enlisted several sports and pop culture celebrities to appear and perform at events to help promote the league. The Big3 features 12 teams whose players are mostly former NBA contributors or younger players who are looking to break through. The season spans 10 weeks and tours several major markets in the U.S. The league features several prominent Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame players such as George Gervin, Gary Payton, and Lisa Leslie as head coaches. The Big3 schedule comes at a time on the sports calendar when there aren't as many basketball offerings for fans. To help promote the league, Ice Cube has enlisted several sports and pop culture celebrities to appear and perform at events. In October 2022, the league announced that it had extended its broadcast contract with CBS for the 2023 season. Ice Cube did not elaborate on what, specifically, he claims the NBA is doing against the Big3. However, during an appearance on "The Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz," Ice Cube specifically targeted NBA commissioner Adam Silver for being an alleged roadblock.