BIG3 NAMES NBA CHAMPION MICHAEL COOPER NEW COACH OF 3’S COMPANY
Cooper —5-Time NBA Champion and the Only Person to Win a Championship as a Coach or a Player in the NBA, WNBA, and the NBA D-League — joins the ranks of BIG3’s Legendary Coaches
(LOS ANGELES) JUNE 6, 2018 – BIG3 announced today that former Los Angeles Laker great and five-time NBA champion Michael Cooper has been named the new coach of 3’s Company. Cooper will lead the team comprised of Captain DerMarr Johnson, Co-Captain Baron Davis, Co-Captain Drew Gooden, Andre Emmett, Jason Maxiell, and Derrick Byars. Cooper joins the league’s seven other legendary coaches: Rick Barry, Rick Mahorn, Gary Payton, Nancy Lieberman, George ‘The Iceman’ Gervin, Charles Oakley, and Julius Erving.
“As a diehard Lakers fan, I can’t wait to see Coop back in the arena,” said BIG3 co-founder and co-CEO Ice Cube. “His basketball resume is already one of a kind and now he’ll try to make it even better by becoming the only person to taste championship champagne in the NBA, WNBA, NBA D-League, and now the BIG3. But we’ll have to see what Coach Mahorn and Trilogy have to say about that first.”
Cooper takes over the 3’s Company coaching position from Allen Iverson who coached and played for 3’s Company during the BIG3’s 2017 inaugural season. Iverson played a significant role in the launch of the BIG3, and while he will shift focus to his own projects this summer, he remains very supportive of the league.
During his outstanding twelve-year professional career with the Showtime Lakers, Michael Cooper won five NBA championships alongside Magic Johnson and Kareem Adbul-Jabbar, while also being honored with the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 1986. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive First or Second Team eight times, including winning the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in 1987. As a coach, Cooper was an assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers before moving to the WNBA where he was named WNBA Coach of the Year in 2000 and winning two WNBA Championships in 2001 and 2002 with the Los Angeles Sparks. He later won the NBA D-League Championship with the Albuquerque Thunderbirds in 2007.
“Michael Cooper was one of the toughest competitors and best men I ever played against during my time in the NBA,” said BIG3 Commissioner Clyde Drexler. “We are thrilled to have him join the BIG3 family and raise the level of competition even higher this season.”
BIG3’s 10-week season tips off in Houston, TX on June 22 and makes its way to Chicago, Oakland, Detroit, Miami, Toronto, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, and Brooklyn. All stops will feature four back-to-back games on Friday evenings and will be broadcast live on FS1 or Fox this season. Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased now at BIG3.com.
2018 BIG3 SEASON SCHEDULE
WEEK 1 | June 22: Toyota Center | Houston, Texas
WEEK 2 | June 29: United Center | Chicago, Illinois
WEEK 3 | July 6: Oracle Arena | Oakland, California
WEEK 4 | July 13: Little Caesars Arena | Detroit, Michigan
WEEK 5 | July 20: American Airlines Arena | Miami, Florida
WEEK 6 | July 27: Air Canada Centre | Toronto, Ontario
WEEK 7 | August 3: TD Garden | Boston, Massachusetts
WEEK 8 | August 10: Infinite Energy Arena | Atlanta, Georgia
WEEK 9 | August 17: American Airlines Center | Dallas, Texas *Playoffs*
WEEK 10 | August 24: Barclays Center | Brooklyn, New York *Championship Finals*
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ABOUT BIG3: BIG3 (BIG3.com) is where basketball superstars play. The premier half-court, 3-on-3 basketball league, BIG3 features many of the greatest, most popular and skilled NBA players of all time. Founded by producer, actor and music legend Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz, the BIG3 combines highly competitive, physical, fast basketball and incredible fan experiences. Comprised of eight teams, the league played to huge arena crowds in ten different US cities throughout the 2017 inaugural season.
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