Ice Cube’s BIG3 Basketball League Grows to Houston and Miami

Ice Cube’s BIG3 basketball league is getting bigger, now adding teams in Houston and Miami. The Hip-Hop star recently announced these new expansions, aiming to have home teams across the country instead of just hosting games on the road.

Earlier this year, Cube bought his first team in Los Angeles. On Wednesday (July 3), Bloomberg reported that Eric Mullins and Milton Carroll bought a team in Houston, and last month, businessman Heath Freeman bought one in Miami.

“I am honored to join Ice Cube and [co-founder] Jeff Kwatinetz at the BIG3 and bring a new professional basketball team to Miami,” Freeman said. He added, “BIG3 is shaping the future of basketball.

The gameplay is dynamic and nuanced, and the product on the court appeals to audiences in this fast-growing region. Basketball fans across South Florida can rest assured that this franchise will soon add to our region’s winning sports history.”

Before these deals, Cube told VIBE about other cities he’d like to expand to, including Toronto, New York, Miami, Chicago, the Bay Area, DC area, Baltimore, DMV, St. Louis, Kansas City, Detroit, and New Jersey, where they already have a game scheduled in Newark this year.

Cube also talked about trying to recruit newly drafted Indiana Fever player Caitlin Clark for the 2024 WNBA season. “Her impact on the ratings is undeniable. She was doing better ratings than the NBA,” Cube said.

“As a league, you want that kind of star power. It would raise the bar for everybody. If another player comes along with that kind of impact, of course, we would go after them.”

He added, “Our sponsors and everyone were looking at this, and landing her would have meant more money from all our partners and sponsors. It would’ve been a big win for the whole league.”