Ice Cube’s Big3 basketball league is getting ready to begin their eighth season of existence in 2025 (no season in 2020 due to COVID-19). It began in 2017 and has seemingly gained more popularity in each ensuing season. Now they have been adding some of the most notable players that the league has ever rostered. Recently, it was announced that 2025 Basketball Hall of Famer Dwight Howard would be joining. On Thursday, it was reported that arguably the best player in Charlotte Hornets history, Kemba Walker, would also be part of the BIG3 this year.
Four-Time NBA All-Star To Join Ice Cube’s BIG3
Kemba Walker Heading To BIG3 For 2025 Season
On Thursday, basketball insider Chris Haynes announced that Kemba Walker would be participating in the BIG3 for the 2025 season. He last played in the NBA for nine games during the 2022-23 season.
Four-time NBA All-Star point guard Kemba Walker has reached an agreement to play for @IceCube’s @TheBig3 for the 2025 season, league sources tell me. pic.twitter.com/yxb9gGDbdc
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) April 17, 2025
Getting someone with the notoriety of Walker (as well as Howard) should be a huge boon for Ice Cube’s league and increase their popularity even more. Turning 35 years old on May 8, it wasn’t too long ago that Walker was seen as one of the best point guards in the NBA. He was named an All-Star four straight years from 2017 until 2020. He also was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2018-19.
The 6-foot guard spent 12 seasons in the NBA. His best work came while he was with the Hornets where he played his first eight years. Walker is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 12,009 points. He also played for the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Dallas Mavericks.
Prior to that, Walker became a household name due to his play collegiately with the UConn Huskies. That particularly came in his junior year of 2010-11, as the Huskies went on to win the national championship. He followed up an outstanding Big East Tournament by being named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player. Walker parlayed that success by entering the 2011 NBA Draft where he was selected ninth overall by the Hornets.
It has already been announced that Howard would be playing for the Los Angeles Riot. As of this writing, it is unclear which of the eight BIG3 teams that Walker will suit up for.
Season Set To Tip Off In June
The eighth year of the BIG3 is set to tip off in a little less than two months on June 14. The league rosters many former NBA players, has some well-known coaches, and is a 3-on-3 league. While the league has gone down from 12 teams last year to eight this year, they also took a big step forward. Each team is now city-based which can certainly help with receiving local support and with merchandising.
The eight teams for the 2025 season will be the Boston Ball Hogs, Chicago Triplets, Dallas Power, Detroit Amplifiers, DMV Trilogy, Houston Rig Hands, Los Angeles Riot, and Miami 305. While full rosters are not yet known, some of the more notable players who for at least one time played in the BIG3 include Joe Johnson, Rashard Lewis, and Stephen Jackson.
Photo credit: © Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
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