Former NFL quarterback and Civil Rights activist Colin Kaepernick has decided to throw a major lifeline to Ice Cube’s fan-favorite ‘BIG3 League’ through a major investment to keep the league operational and help it grow in the future.
The league has been operational since 2017 and has seen a whole host of former NBA players play on teams within the league. It promotes 3×3 basketball, as compared to the NBA’s 5×5.
The details of Kaepernick’s investment into the league haven’t been revealed. It will be interesting to see how much was given by the former NFL Pro-Bowler to rapper and actor Ice Cube to keep the league afloat after COVID-19 had a severe impact on their ability to keep the league operational.
In 2020, the league received a $1.6-million loan from the US federal government The Associated Press. They have returned $700,000 so far. $600,000 of the loan was used to pay its coaches and players in order to return to play in 2021.
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1544867733896138754
The BIG3 League has seen various investments over the last year with a lot of crypto and NFT collaborations coming to the league. NFT Community DeGods agreed to purchase 25 Fire-Tier editions of Killer 3’s NFTs, which helped them get an ownership stake in the team.
The league was founded by Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz in 2017. It comprises 12 teams who compete in an eight-week season before advancing to the postseason. Clyde Drexler serves as the commissioner of the league. A wide assortment of former NBA players participates in the league including Joe Johnson, Cuttino Mobley, Josh Powell, Amir Johnson, and Mario Chalmers. The league has not had the full support of the NBA in recent times, according to Cube.
The league is doing strong viewership numbers in the ongoing season, with their Week 2 numbers bringing in over a million viewers worldwide. The league is growing well and Kaepernick will benefit over time if the league can continue this pace of growth.
