Recently, Ice Cube’s 3-on-3 basketball league, the BIG3, announced that they will be tipping off their season at Barclays Center on June 25. On Tuesday, we got some more exciting news about the league as Julius “Dr. J” Erving will be taking to the sidelines this summer as a head coach.
That news was later confirmed by the league. Via a press release from the BIG3:
Fresh off the announcement that the BIG3 will get underway at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 25th, the professional 3-on-3 league has announced another big name acquisition with the signing of the legendary Julius “Dr. J” Erving as a coach. Erving will round out the league’s eight team coaches, joining the ranks of Allen Iverson, Charles Oakley, Gary Payton, George Gervin, Clyde Drexler, Rick Barry, and Rick Mahorn.
Roger Mason Jr., the president and commissioner of the league, added, “The Doctor is one of the most esteemed NBA showmen of all time. His in-your-face style of play transformed the game as we knew it, and we’re privileged to have his basketball acumen, and passion for the game as a coach in the BIG3.”
As for now, it seems that Erving will stick to the sidelines, unlike Allen Iverson and Charles Oakley, who plan to be player/coaches. However, as we learned a few years back, Erving can still get up and throw one down.
So maybe, just maybe, we’ll see the former highflyer get back out on the court at some point this summer. Even in the likely event he remains simply a coach, it will still be neat to have Erving involved in the league.
