The BIG3 basketball league, founded in 2017 by rapper Ice Cube, is transitioning to a city-based franchise model for the 2025 season, and that model includes a local team: the Chicago Triplets.
The 3-on-3 basketball league announced its eight team names Wednesday.
The 2025 regular season is scheduled to be eight weeks, starting June 14.
Last season, the BIG3 league had 12 teams, but none were tied to a specific city. The league traveled to 10 different cities ― eight weeks for the regular season and two for the postseason. Each week, all 12 teams played in one city.
In the franchise model, each city will host one week during the eight-week regular season, featuring all eight teams.
The other teams are:
• Boston Ball Hogs
• Dallas Power
• Detroit Amplifiers
• DMV (Washington, D.C.) Trilogy
• Houston Rig Hands
• Los Angeles Riot
• Miami 305.
“This is a landmark moment in our league,” BIG3 Co-CEO Ice Cube said in a statement Wednesday. “These cities have shown up for us year after year and we are honored to represent and reward those fans with a new franchise of their own. The basketball energy in these cities is unmatched, and we’ve seen first-hand the power of their fanbases.
“Transitioning to a full city-based model for this season is another marker of the league’s continued exponential growth, and fans can expect an increased talent pool and a more competitive style of game than ever before.
“And this is just the beginning.”
The BIG3 is hoping to return to 12 teams for the 2026 season.
The league has a TV rights deal with CBS and Paramount+. This will be the BIG3’s eighth season.
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