The BIG3, the three-on-three league featuring former NBAers, is on pace to sell more than 11,000 tickets for its first slate of games, which is set to take place Sunday at Barclays Center. The arena is expecting a sellout before the event begins based on the layout of the venue. Four games are part of every game day (John Lombardo, Staff Writer). The AP's Brian Mahoney reports while the BIG3 features numerous former pros, it "got the boost it needed" when HOFer Allen Iverson signed up. Former top players such as Jermaine O'Neal, Rashard Lewis and Mike Bibby are "playing captains," while coaches include HOFers Julius Erving, Rick Barry and George Gervin, among others. Most of the other players "would be classified as NBA journeymen." BIG3 will play "on nine more weekends throughout the U.S. and broadcast each Monday night" on tape-delay on FS1, culminating in the Aug. 26 championship game. Games will be "played to 60 points, with halftime when the first team reaches 30." There will be "some gimmicks that separate it from the official international basketball version, such as a 4-point shot and encouragement of trash talking." League co-Founders Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz "leaned on their fellow league executives" -- former player and NBPA President Roger Mason Jr. and former Raiders Chief Exec Amy Trask -- in "developing the structure and format of the league." Players will "compete for a revenue share based on final league standings." Ice Cube: "We've done everything to incentivize hard play and guys to go for it" (AP, 6/23). Ice Cube noted one ticket will get fans into "four games." He said, "It's like a basketball festival." He added, "A lot of these guys said, 'My kids never got a chance to see me play in the league. Man, it's going to be cool that my daughter and my son get to see me actually play'" ("Today," NBC, 6/22).
