NFL
By: Raynard Churchwell
The Big 3 basketball tournament held its Season 5 Finale at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday. The venue was filled with great energy and the players brought their best games out for the season’s end. The Big3 hosted three games on the evening including the Big3 Celebrity Game, Big3 All-Star game, and Big3 season championship game.
Big3 Celebrity Game – The Big3 celebrity game brought all the stars out in Atlanta. The game was filled with laughter, excitement, and pure entertainment. The two teams consisted of Team Webull and Team Price.com, two of the Big 3’s biggest sponsors. Team Webull was coached by Hip Hop Legend and Big3 Founder Ice Cube, and Team Price.com was coached by NBA Legend Clyde “The Glide” Drexler.”
Notable Celebrities that participated in the game included. Rapper Nelly, NFL Star Rob Gronkowski, Gillie da Kid & Wallo from the Million Dollaz Worth of Game Podcast, Rapper NLE Choppa, ESPN Reporter Chris Haynes and more. While the game didn’t display elite athleticism or skill, both teams gave it all on the court and showed the crowd a good time.
The game started off with some easy lay-ups from Rob Gronkowski and Chris Haynes from Team Price.com. As the game progressed, NLE Choppa began to heat up and knock down threes in bunches. Both teams played toe-to-toe throughout the game.
The halftime show feature Atlanta Rapper Young Dro. The crowd was on their feet and sang along to Dro’s old classics like “Shoulder Lean” and “We in the City”
In the second half, the game went down to the wire until the closing moments. Both teams played hard with players challenging each other on both ends of the floor. The final moments came down to Chris Haynes missing two lay-ups in a row. This gave Team Wilburn the win over Team Price.com 45-44.
Players that performed the best in Gillie da Kid for Team Webull and NLE Choppa for Team Price.com. Both entertainers were instrumental in their team’s success. However, Gillie da Kid would be named Most Valuable Player.
Big3 All-Star Game – One of the highlights of the Big3 season happened on Sunday as the Big3 hosted their inaugural All-Star Game. Each team consisted of six players from different teams across the league.
Team Doc, who was coached by NBA Legend Julius “Dr. J.” Irving, included: Michael Beasley, Deshawn Stephens, Gerald Green, Mario Chalmers, Mike Taylor, and Dusan Bulut.
Team Ice was coached by NBA Legend “The Iceman” George Gervin. The Team included: Kevin Murphy, Isiah Austin, Jason Richardson, Jodie Meeks, Dante Green, and Jeremy Pargo.
The contest began with some elite shooting from both teams. Chalmers and Bulut both saw their shots go down early.
Later in the game, Deshawn Stephens began to take over. Stephens couldn’t seem to miss as he continued to slam dunk everything he touched. Former Miami Heat big man Beasley had a great showing as well as dominated the paint and snatched plenty of rebounds.
In the second half, the shooting continues to be red hot. Chalmers continued to show off his all-star level shooting and playmaking ability. The game was controlled by Bulut and Stephens. The two “Aliens” teammates showed of chemistry and superior skill.
Bulut finished with four assists, and his shot was falling all game. Team Doc was in charge the whole game, and Gerald Green finished things off with a nice jumper from the baseline to seal the win.
Team Doc won 50-44, and Stephens won Most Valuable Player after he posted fifteen points and 8 rebounds.
Big3 Finals – You could feel the electricity in the arena as the defending champion Trilogy took the court against the tough and scrappy Power. As the game began, Trilogy took the lead early on with Isaiah Briscoe making tough baskets. Power didn’t hold back as TJ Cline and Glen Rice Jr fought back to take the lead. The first half was a hard-fought back-and-forth affair with Trilogy leading 25-21 at the half.
In the second half, the Trilogy began to pull away. Briscoe continued to dominate, and teammates Amir Johnson and Earl Clark began to find a rhythm. Power couldn’t get anything going. Power’s Royce White and Cline were shut down in the second half as Trilogy’s front court earned seven blocked shots. Trilogy also dominated the boards with 12 offensive rebounds.
Trilogy’s three-point shooting began to put the game out of reach, and they could feel the championship coming closer. In the end, Briscoe hit the game-winning lay-up to end the game 51-35.
Confetti filled the arena as the Trilogy celebrated their champion win. Briscoe was named Most Valuable Player after scoring 21 points.
As the Trilogy continued to celebrate in the press conference, Trilogy Head Coach and former NBA player, Stephen Jackson said his team earned their championship through hard work.
“This team never cheated the game,” Jackson said. “A lot of guys took this Big3 opportunity for granted, but we took advantage of it. Ice Cube provided a platform for us to play the game we love, and we’re happy to be a part of it.
In conclusion, the Big3 Finale was an outstanding event filled with excitement and fun. The City of Atlanta showed its appreciation, with its cheers and enthusiasm for each game. In five years, the Big3 has grown to tremendous heights and looks to only grow larger. Th
