The BIG3 league may be a relatively new league, but it take its business seriously.
As former NBA stars such as Lamar Odom, Bonzi Wells, Baron Davis and Jermaine O'Neal found out the hard way on Wednesday, the BIG3 is not going to make exceptions for big-name players. All four of the aforementioned players were deactivated by the league on Wednesday in an official press release from the league.
If you were wondering what the exact reason was for the aforementioned players being deactivated, BIG3 owner Ice Cube explained to TMZ Sports rather bluntly why Odom -- and the other three players -- will no longer play in the league.
"As a league, we want players that are actually playing, so if you aren't playing, or can't play, or you have any health issues ..." Ice Cube said. When asked if he was concerned about Odom, he said, 'Always. I love the guy."
Unlike the other three players who were deactivated, Odom was the only one who had actually played in a game this season. The co-captain of the expansion squad Enemies, Odom had registered just two points, four rebounds and an assist.
It wasn't exactly the comeback many were hoping for or expected out of the former two-time NBA champion and Sixth Man of the Year winner. Odom made his return to basketball this year, having not appeared in an professional basketball game in the United States since the 2012-13 season. In fact, Ice Cube had actually predicted that Odom would win the BIG3 Comeback Player of the Year award.
In the case of Wells, Davis and O'Neal, all three players had sat out the entire season. While it was assumed that all of the aforementioned players were dealing with injuries, that isn't actually the case. Davis clarified over Twitter that it wasn't due to injury that he wasn't playing -- it just wasn't in his best interests to play in the BIG3 league.
I have decided to no longer participate in the @thebig3 I don’t feel it is in my best interest to play, all love to the guys, stay connected and protect yourselves. @icecube good looking and best of luck!! 💯🤞🏾
— Baron Davis (@BaronDavis) July 10, 2019
The four deactivated players had played a combined 55 seasons in the NBA, winning two championships while posting eight All-Star selections to go along with four All-NBA nods.
In other words, the BIG3 league isn't playing around -- it will deactivate you if you can't cut it, no matter how gaudy your resume may look.
