BIG3's Debut Event Draws 15,000-Plus Fans To Barclays Center

The new BIG3 basketball league drew a "surprisingly strong" crowd of 15,177 to Barclays Center yesterday for its debut event, tipping off a 10-city summer tour. Allen Iverson, player/coach for the 3's Company team, "received the only standing ovation," along with chants of "We want AI." The "building exploded" when Iverson "hit his lone jumper, but the league's marquee attraction barely left the sideline, playing nine of 37 minutes." Factors that "threaten the long-term viability of the league" include "quality of play, the dragging pace of the near six-hour event and the durability of aging players" (N.Y. POST, 6/26). The crowd size was "not far behind the Nets' average of 15,429 last season, and the vibe was far livelier than at your average Nets game." If there was a "downer, it was that fans did not see enough" of Iverson (NEWSDAY, 6/26).