Celebrity Game:
The first game of the day will be the third ever BIG3 celebrity game featuring returning celebrities such as Million Dollaz Worth of Game hosts Wallo267 and Gillie, former NFL tight end Vernon Davis, and Bachelor star Matt James. In addition, newcomers like artists Ty Dolla $ign, Skrilla Baby, Fabolous, and French Montana, former NFL cornerback Ty Law, LSU hooper Flau’jae Johnson, actors Michael Blackson and Anthony Anderson, and AND1 mixtape legend The Professor will get their first taste of Fireball3 action in Boston. BIG3 co-founder Ice Cube and BIG3 commissioner Clyde Drexler return as head coaches for the third straight year with Ice Cube having the 2-0 advantage.
All-Star Game:
The BIG3 All-Star features players from seven different squads head coached by Enemies’ Nick Young and Tri-State’s Julius Erving. Swaggy P’s Team 3 boasts Tri-State’s Kevin Murphy, 3 Headed Monsters’ Jeff Teague and Brandon Moss, and Ghost Ballers’ Mike Taylor and Chris Johnson. On the flip side, Dr. J’s Team Big will lead Enemies’ Jordan Crawford, Elijah Stewart, and Isaiah Austin, Trilogy’s Isaiah Briscoe, and Triplets’ Jeremy Pargo. Moss and Johnson are first time All-Stars while Briscoe plays in his first All-Star game with his previous selections being during years he played in the championship game. Bivouac’s Corey Brewer and Garlon Green along with 3’s Company’s Michael Beasley were selected but will not play as their teams made the title game. Ball Hogs’ Leandro Barbosa also made his third All-Star game but is out due to personal reasons.
Following last year’s surprise appearance by Boston Celtic’s Jaylen Brown, there’s no telling who may show up this year. With the BIG3 playing in Boston, could Brown or another NBA superstar shock the league once again? Only more of a reason to tune in Sunday.
Championship Game (CBS): Bivouac (8-1) vs 3’s Company (7-2):
Time to settle the score once and for all. In a rematch of Week 2, the top two seeds in the BIG3 meet again where one of these teams will earn their first title in franchise history. Seems fitting that it’s these two teams seeing as the first matchup was decided by a technicality when 3’s Company attempted to call a timeout they didn’t have. Ultimately, it ended in Bivouac shooting game-winning free throws to pull out a three-point victory. A lot has happened since then though. Bivouac has only dropped one game since they last met while the All-Star duo of Corey Brewer (18.4 PPG) and Garlon Green (14 PPG) have become one of the deadliest in the league. That led to Bivouac making the title game in their first playoff appearance Meanwhile, Michael Beasley has continued to put the ball in the basket (second in the league in PPG) at a high clip dropping three 30-point games in the last seven weeks. That includes a 32-point outing in 3’s Company’s first playoff win since 2018. Additionally, Nasir Core has been instant offense off the bench putting himself in both the Rookie of the Year and 4th Man of the Year conversation
With each side having the ability to score at a high rate, it could come down to the defensive side of the ball alongside the play of the bigs. Brewer leads a stingy Bivouac defense while leading the league in blocks and steals. For 3’s Company, they allowed the least amount of points scored during the regular season. From another perspective, Bivouac’s success could be attributed to Javier Carter and Jaylen Johnson who have added another dimension to this team. Both guys have had career years (Carter 47 points, 37 rebounds; Johnson 37 points, 27 rebounds) in the BIG3 and are able to pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop while having the capability to switch 1-3 on defense. That’ll be key against an enforcer like Reggie Evans (fourth in rebounds) and a rim protector like Sean Williams (tied first in blocks), who both can make their presence known. Winning on the glass will be important too, seeing how Bivouac boasts the top two rebounders in Garlon Green (77) and Corey Brewer (70). Extra possessions have been key for Bivouac all seasons while 3’s Company has been one of the most efficient shooting teams all summer.
Either way you spin it, these are two of the most complete teams in the BIG3. At the end of it all, it’ll come down to which team brings their A-game to the biggest stage in Boston.
