For almost four decades, Ice Cube has been a prominent fixture in the culture. From co-founding NWA to being regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, and his legendary films, Cube has solidified himself as an icon.

In the sports world, Cube continues to be a trailblazer as the visionary behind the BIG3. Co-founded by his partner, Jeff Kwatinetz, in 2017, the BIG 3 has featured several former NBA players who have starred in the league. 

Along with the highly competitive action on the court, the BIG3 is the first professional sports league to implement a mental health policy, to promote CBD as a pain management alternative to opioids, enlist women to coach men as  Hall of Famer Nancy Liberman became the first-ever woman to become a head coach of a men's professional team in any sport and win championship.  Also, Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler became the first Black commissioner of a pro sports league.

For his contributions to the game of basketball, Cube was honored by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame with the inaugural Ice Cube Impact Award, which “recognizes contributions to basketball, inclusivity, and community development.”

With the opening tipoff of the league’s eighth season right around the corner, Cube shared how excited he is for the launch of the new season.

“It feels good. We put in so much work, and it's paying off. So many people love the BIG 3 from the fans to the players, and it feeds so many people in so many different ways. I'm just proud that these great players have another league where they can showcase their talent,” Cube told BET.com. “I'm a fan, so this is why I did it, because I felt like fans would love something like this. To see the players running with it and extending a basketball career, and it does a lot for their mental health, has been great.”

One of the league’s new players this year is NBA legend Dwight Howard. Cube spoke about how Howard joined the BIG3 and the potential impact the Hall of Famer will have.

“The BIG 3 championship game is in Orlando this year, so if he makes it all the way and wins the chip in Orlando, that would be like poetic justice. Who knows if he can do it this year, but we've been trying to get Dwight for two or three years, and he finally agreed, “Cube said. “We’re over the moon about it because he's a big name. He's going to bring a lot of attention to the league, and then people are going to see how great the league is through following a superstar like Dwight Howard.”

On the broadcasting side, Chris Haynes, an acclaimed NBA writer, has joined the BIG3 as a sideline reporter.

“Chris is always interested in what's going on with the BIG3. I've watched him grow into a dude who has had a major influence on pro basketball in such a big way, and I’m really proud of his ascent. We want to grow, too,” Cube explained. “We want some of the biggest, most credible people in basketball to be part of the BIG3. We got the Hall of Fame coaches, players who were all-stars, like Dwight Howard, Joe Johnson, and Michael Beasley. 

“We have the incredible Jim Jackson as an analyst, and to have Chris, who is a superstar with the mic in his hand,” he continued. “And we wanted to do the same thing when it comes to bringing the league to the people. So I'm glad he was able to do it and that he said yes. He never forgets where he comes from, which is cool. It's a beautiful thing to know that. And we appreciate him.”

With the league's growth, Cube announced that this season, each team will be based in a city, providing fans with a local team to support.

“When we first started, we started with eight teams, which were all owned by the League. Then we expanded to 12 and, you know, it's kind of like when you eat too much food and you get too full. We were like, Man, handling 12 teams by a centralized League is a lot to handle and to keep them all competitive,” Cube said.

"So, we had to sell franchises; we reduced the number of teams to eight, and we’ll continue to grow that way. You can still see the whole league when you come because there will still be four games played in each city,” he went on. “We feel like it's gonna unlock a big fan base in those cities. Whether you're going for the LA riot, the Miami 305, the Detroit Amplifiers, the Chicago Triplets, Dallas Power, Houston Rig Hands, or the Boston Ball Hogs, you're gonna be able to figure out what squad is yours and have some affiliation to it.”

Always innovative with the 4-point shot, this season the BIG3 will feature the Red Lobster "Bring the Fire" challenge, which allows coaches to challenge one officiating call per half to be settled by an in-game 1-on-1 matchup.

“I've been going to Red Lobster since I was 18 years old. Me and my wife had our first date at a Red Lobster out here on Wilshire. I still have the lighthouse glasses that they used to give out. So them being a part of the league is amazing.”

“They're part of an amazing part of our game called 'Bring the Fire.” It's like being part of a penalty kick in soccer. So they're not only sponsors of the game, they're part of the game,” he continued. “Anytime anybody hits the Red Lobster, bring the fire horn. It's going down. Everybody knows it."

When asked if starting the BIG3 was more difficult than making the installment of the Friday film franchises, Cube emphatically stated that launching a basketball league was the most challenging.

“Starting a league is tougher by far. With Friday, it’s just getting past a few knucklehead executives. Some of them got fired and or were demoted. That's the reason we're making it because it's a new vision there, so I was just waiting it out,” Cube said. “But with the BIG3, this has been like building a battleship with one hand and fighting off an 800-pound gorilla called the NBA with the other hand. That's a challenge to get it right, still win, and not get ripped apart by the 800-pound gorilla.”

With his legendary discography, Cube said if he could choose one of his songs to describe the upcoming season, it would be “Natural Born Killaz” featuring Dr. Dre.

“Wow.  I guess I gotta go with “Natural Born Killaz” because that's what we got on this court. Man, these dudes are going to go at it. I'm not talking about prison ball, but basketball the way it's meant to be played.”

The BIG3 tips off on June 14, 2025, at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois, and will be televised live on CBS.