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Strong Crowds, Rusty Play Highlight BIG3's Debut Event At Barclays Center

A "surprisingly strong" crowd of 15,177 came to Barclays Center yesterday for the BIG3's debut, "featuring a slew of retired NBA stars ... at the beginning of its 10-city summer tour," according to Howie Kussoy of the N.Y. POST. There were several issues that surfaced for the three-on-three league, including the "quality of play, the dragging pace of the near six-hour event, and the durability of the aging players." Each of those "threaten the long-term viability of the league." However, name recognition and nostalgia "created enough excitement for a crowd that didn’t need the action to match their memories." Rockets G James Harden, rapper LL Cool J and actress Whoopi Goldberg were among the celebs who "sat courtside." Basketball HOFer Allen Iverson "received a standing ovation" when he was introduced, and the arena "exploded" when he made his lone field goal. Despite that, Iverson, the league’s "marquee attraction," played just nine of 37 minutes. Yet the crowd "remained invested despite the poor shooting and shoddy passing" seen in the games. Iverson said, “It was fun for the fans. That was the whole objective. That’s why I wanted to do this and go around from city to city and be around my fans. I think it was a great atmosphere, and I really think it’s only going to get better." Kussoy notes the crowd "noticeably thinned for the final game" after Iverson was done (N.Y. POST, 6/26). On Long Island, Neil Best notes the crowd yesterday was "not far behind the Nets' average of 15,429 last season, and the vibe was far livelier than that at your average Nets game." Best: "If there was a downer, it was that fans did not see enough" of Iverson (NEWSDAY, 6/26). The Washington Post's Tim Bontemps tweeted for the "majority of the people" in attendance, Iverson was the "only reason they came. Tons of Sixers Iverson jerseys in the stands here in Brooklyn" (TWITTER.com, 6/25).

FEELING NOSTALGIC: SI.com's Rohan Nadkarni writes the BIG3 is "mostly fun" for fans "really into late-90s, early-00s hoops." The event "ran way too long on Sunday," but the league could "tinker with the rules to cut down on the runtime." People should not be "surprised if the games are played to a lower score in the coming weeks." The games themselves are "pretty physical." The league's first day "went off mostly without a hitch," and it was a "solid start for a league that hopes to have serious staying power" (SI.com, 6/26). ESPN's Marty Smith said if there is going to be a "league like this, you have to have stars.” BIG3 co-Founder Ice Cube said of Iverson and former Kings G Jason Williams, “They’re mystical figures, man. It’s like having Bruce Lee or somebody. We want to be legitimate from day one. We don't want to build up to that” ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 6/25).

INJURIES NO DETERENT
: The AP's Brian Mahoney noted there is a "risk of injury for players way past their primes." Williams "went down with a right leg injury late in the opener," while Corey Maggette "had to come out of the second game." Both were "expected to be OK," and that potential for injury "might not stop more players from wanting to play." Former NBAer Andre Owens said that Kevin Garnett "might want to play." While the quality of play yesterday was "spotty," it was "certainly competitive" (AP, 6/25). ESPN.com's Coley Harvey reported Paul Pierce could "maybe play BIG3" in '18. Pierce would have "The Truth" on the "back of his jersey" (TWITTER.com, 6/25).

PROVING IT IS HERE TO STAY: FAST COMPANY's KC Ifeanyi noted one of the BIG3's "immediate challenges will be to prove to fans and viewers that the league isn't a novelty or something like an All-Star game where it's more about showmanship than competition." BIG3 CEO Amy Trask said, "We're going to be judged by the quality of play on the court. We can do all sorts of sensational business deals, we can have great sponsorship deals -- that's not what will interest fans. Fans will be interested if the quality of the games is good" (FASTCOMPANY.com, 6/24). Ice Cube prior to yesterday's games said, "It’s all gonna hit people and they gonna say, ‘Damn, how did we live without this?'" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 6/26). The Wrap's Brian Flood tweeted, "Ice Cube's #BIG3 is going to be a hit. Players taking it seriously. Great crowd, celebs everywhere" (TWITTER.com, 6/25). But in N.Y., Victor Mather writes while the BIG3 is "off to a solid start .. there are dozens of obstacles ahead." Mather: "New leagues almost always fail. Finances, ownership, television deals and waning interest are all potential dangers" (NYTIMES.com, 6/26). TheScore.com's official feed tweeted, "The BIG3 league's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad opening day" (TWITTER.com, 6/25).

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