By Craig Ellenport
It hasn’t taken long for the seven new co-captains who joined the BIG3 in 2018 to make their presence felt. All seven have embraced the philosophy promoted by league co-founder Ice Cube when he conceived of the BIG3: It’s not your name, it’s your game.
Sure, all seven are high-profile names in the basketball world:
Amar’e Stoudemire (Tri-State)
Nate Robinson (Tri-State)
Baron Davis (3’s Company)
Drew Gooden (3’s Company)
Metta World Peace (Killer 3s)
Carlos Boozer (Ghost Ballers)
Glen “Big Baby” Davis (Power)
But after three weeks of the 2018 season, they are backing up their reputations with strong play. Many of these guys are among the league leaders in key stat categories. They’re all going at it hard, which has been the hallmark of BIG3 basketball.
“At the end of the day, I just wanna hoop,” Baron Davis said when he signed with the league last December. “I have a lot of basketball left, and this is a great opportunity to fill that void I’ve been missing.”
He proved how much ball he has left when he hit the game-winning 3-pointer last week to knock off defending champ Trilogy.
Robinson, who already has two game-winning shots for undefeated Tri-State, probably best exemplifies the fire that still burns with these veterans. He and Stoudemire face a tough task Friday night at Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit when they take on the undefeated 3-Headed Monsters. But it’s safe to say that all seven of these veteran co-captains will be ready to hoop.
Here’s a preview of the Week 4 games:
TRILOGY (0-3) vs. KILLER 3S (1-2) – 6 p.m. ET on Facebook Watch
Both of these teams were a point away from victory last week only to see their opponents hit game-winning 3-pointers. Which squad will have the mental fortitude to bounce back with a win? Both have the necessary leadership. Trilogy co-captain Al Harrington scored 28 points in last week’s loss to 3’s Company. A very big difference here, as Trilogy looks to finally get in the win column in 2018, is the return of Rashad McCants, who sat out last week with an injury. … Dahntay Jones saw his first action of the season last week for Trilogy and scored 8 points. … Killer 3s co-captain Stephen Jackson is sixth in the league in scoring (17.3 ppg) and leads the league in steals (4). … Newcomer Alan Anderson had a team-best 15 points last week and Metta World Peace was a force in the paint and on the perimeter, scoring 11 points, including three 3-pointers.
BALL HOGS (1-2) vs. 3’S COMPANY (2-1) – 7 p.m. ET on FS1
DeShawn Stevenson had his best game since joining the Ball Hogs when he scored 21 last week, helping his new team get its first victory of the season. Stevenson had five 3-pointers, one shy of the BIG3 record he set last season. … Newcomer Jermaine Taylor saw his first significant action for the Ball Hogs and scored 15. … Andre Emmett had 20 points in 3’s Company’s win over Trilogy. … Baron Davis, who hit the game-winning 3-pointer last week, is second in the league with 61 points.
3-HEADED MONSTERS (3-0) vs. TRI-STATE (3-0)
The winner of this game will be the last undefeated team left. The 3-Headed Monsters, however, will likely be without their captain and reigning MVP Rashard Lewis, who injured his knee in last week’s win. … The Monsters got 20 points last week from Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, who was on fire after Lewis left the game. … Newcomer Qyntel Woods has quietly been strong for the Monsters; he’s 12th in the league in points (37) and 13th in rebounds (16). … Tri-State continues to lead the BIG3 in most points scored (152) and fewest allowed (114). … Tri-State’s David Hawkins remains among the league leaders in several categories. He’s third in points (57), fourth in rebounds (21), first in assists (13) and tied for second in steals (3). … While Hawkins led Tri-State with 18 last week, Jermaine O’Neal and Nate Robinson each had 12.
GHOST BALLERS (0-3) vs. POWER (2-1)
While the Ghost Ballers are winless, they have been close in every game this season. … Ballers co-captain Carlos Boozer is fourth in points (54) and tied for first in rebounds (27). … Boozer was the only player in Week 3 to record a double-double (17 points, 11 rebounds). … Ballers co-captain Ricky Davis is seventh in points (45). … Even though Power lost for the first time last week, captain Corey Maggette set a BIG3 single-game record with 34 points. Maggette leads the league in points (67), is third in rebounds (24) and second in assists (11). … Power this week signed Xavier Silas, who averaged 9.3 ppg last season with the Ball Hogs and Tri-State.
WEEK 3 LEADERS
Points:
| Player, Team | Total |
| Corey Maggette, Power | 34 |
| Al Harrington, Trilogy | 28 |
| DeShawn Stevenson, Ball Hogs | 21 |
| Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, 3-Headed Monsters | 20 |
| Andre Emmett, 3’s Company | 20 |
Rebounds:
| Player, Team | Total |
| Carlos Boozer, Ghost Ballers | 11 |
| Josh Childress, 3’s Company | 10 |
| Rashard Lewis, 3-Headed Monsters | 9 |
| Reggie Evans, 3-Headed Monsters | 7 |
| Corey Maggette, Power | 7 |
Assists:
| Player, Team | Total |
| Andre Owens, Ball Hogs | 5 |
| Chris Andersen, Power | 4 |
| Ricky Davis, Ghost Ballers | 4 |
| Corey Maggette, Power | 4 |
| Nate Robinson, Tri-State | 4 |
Total 3-Pointers:
| Player, Team | Total |
| DeShawn Stevenson, Ball Hogs | 5 |
| Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, 3-Headed Monsters | 4 |
| Al Harrington, Trilogy | 4 |
| Corey Maggette, Power | 4 |
Steals:
| Player, Team | Total |
| Stephen Jackson, Killer 3s | 3 |
Several players tied with 2
Blocks:
| Player, Team | Total |
| Chris Andersen, Power | 2 |
Several players tied with 1
