SALT LAKE CITY — Hip-hop fans all over the world have grown accustomed to Ice Cube intertwining his fingers during shows to form the famous one-handed “W” sign to represent the West Coast.
And Salt Lake City is no different.
Throughout the years, Utah has been a frequent concert stop for the rap star, but now he’s bringing a different event to town: Big 3 basketball.
The professional 3-on-3 basketball league is set to hit Vivint Arena on Saturday, July 27. Former Utah Jazz players Joe Johnson (Triplets), Al Jefferson (Triplets), Brandon Rush (Aliens), DeShawn Stevenson (Ball Hogs), Carlos Arroyo (Trilogy) and Carlos Boozer (Ghost Ballers) are all dispersed on different rosters.
So, I’ve always felt like whenever I hear something said about Salt Lake City, I’m like these people have never been there, obviously, because I’ve always had a great response and great enthusiasm every time I’ve hit the scene with a show, so I expect the same thing with this Big 3. – Ice Cube
“Salt Lake has always had swag to me because I’ve been coming there a lot over the years through Summer Jam shows,” Ice Cube said. “A guy named Kevin Cruise (of the radio station) was out there for a long time and really made sure we were always in a place, always had great crowds, fans who were up on it and they were real big on the West Coast out there, which was great.
“So to me, it’s a no-brainer,” he continued. “I think it has a stigma but every time I’ve come there, they’ve always come out even more than some of the cities you think they would come out in. So, I’ve always felt like whenever I hear something said about Salt Lake City, I’m like these people have never been there, obviously, because I’ve always had a great response and great enthusiasm every time I’ve hit the scene with a show, so I expect the same thing with this Big 3.”
Through the first four weeks, Johnson has dominated the competition as the league’s top scorer and assists leader. He’s also nailed the most total field goals plus a league-leading two four-pointers. He was named Big 3 Player of the Week after posting 27 points, 16 rebounds and four assists in Week 1 to lead the Triplets to a 50-40 victory.
“The reason Joe (Johnson) is so good because he can put it on the floor,” said Big 3 commissioner Clyde Drexler, also a Basketball Hall of Famer. “He’s 6-7, he’s strong, he can post up a big guy and certainly can post up a little 6-2 guard and he can really shoot the 3 and the 4.
“He has so many ways that he can just light you up and he’s so efficient,” he added. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think he’s missed a shot in the second half all year. He’s been unbelievable.”
Throughout the 11-week summer season, the Big 3 schedule has traveled to Detroit, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Birmingham, Atlanta, Providence and Brooklyn. Next up are Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City, Chicago, Milwaukee, Miami, Dallas, San Antonio and New Orleans before the championship game on Sept. 1 at Los Angeles’ Staples Center. The Utah games, featuring ex-NBA players, are a first for the third season of the league.
“The Salt Lake games are going to be very, very important,” Big 3 co-founder Jeff Kwatinetz said during Tuesday’s media conference call. “It’s an NBA city that loves basketball and they have guys who played for the Jazz. We’re trying to mix it up.”
As entertaining as the on-court competition has been, part of the Big 3’s allure is the connection to hip-hop. Obviously, Ice Cube is a megastar in his own right, but other rap legends such as LL Cool J, Fat Joe and Jadakiss have graced the sidelines with other artists like Jim Jones performing at halftime.
Not only does Ice Cube feel like the hip-hop scene has grown in Utah, he also credits the current Jazz roster for changing the overall culture, too.
“Having a great team, young talent is always a good thing to bring attention to the city,” Ice Cube said of the Utah Jazz. “Having a great basketball team is a great way to get people to see things they may not see when they’re just looking on the map, but people have their perceptions and sometimes their perceptions are wrong.
“So, I think having a good turnout with the Big 3 is going to show people that, ‘hey, you’ve got a cool event, that’s unique, that you want a lot of people to see come to Utah.’”