Exclusive: Chris Haynes Reveals How Ice Cube’s BIG3 Gives Ex-NBA Players a Second Chance to Life

The crowd disappears. The lights dim… for most ex-NBA players, that silence hits like an icy wind. One day you’re drenched in the roar of 20,000 fans, the next you’re staring down an empty gym, wondering what’s left: what’s the purpose of showing up anymore? But Ice Cube’s BIG3 refuses to let that silence have the last word. And in an exclusive conversation with EssentiallySports, Chris Haynes revealed just how the league has turned into a welcoming lifeline for players once thought to be fading into the shadows of retirement.

For those still catching up, BIG3 is Ice Cube’s half-court, 3-on-3 professional basketball league launched in 2017. It’s played in the summer, first-to-50 wins the game (leading by at least two points), with signature four-point circles that stretch defenses and test aging legs. The rosters are made up mostly of former NBA players and international pros, with Hall of Famers and legends walking on the sidelines as coaches.

What started as a nostalgia act has become a fiercely competitive league, complete with TV deals, sponsorships, and even a pipeline back to the NBA. Oh, and the winner takes home $1 million. Which brings us back to Haynes.

Chris Haynes, in conversation with EssentiallySports, ripped away all filters. “You know, aside from just the league, you know, guys could now have their own podcasts where they can stay relevant and become stars doing it that way because prior, unless you were a superstar, your career was done, it was it was done…”

He’s right. His words underline a harsh reality that in a league dominated by stars, many solid players vanish from public memory once their contracts end!

If you weren’t LeBron, Steph, or Kobe, you risked being forgotten overnight.

That reality has driven too many careers into anonymity. Take J.R. Smith, for example. How often do you see him in the headlines anymore? And if not him, think of solid contributors like Andre Miller, who remains the only NBA player to have scored 16k career points, 8k assists, and 1.5k steals without ever making the NBA All-Star. Or Rashard Lewis, who was talented, but once they left the league, few outside hardcore fans remembered their names.

Even bigger stars can fade if they don’t stay in the media loop. Michael Jordan’s recent NBC deal reminded everyone why visibility matters, while guys like Shaq and the TNT crew have remained fixtures in the public space, simply because they’ve been consistently in front of the camera, conditioned into our daily basketball consciousness. BIG3, Haynes insists, is rewriting that. And well, fairly enough.

Ten years in the NBA, your knees aching, your back stiff, and suddenly you’re just 32 with decades of life left. The paychecks shrink, the spotlight vanishes, and the phone stops ringing. Haynes sketched that picture harshly: “You have to think about like if you’ve if you’ve been able to play a full career like so if you play 10 year NBA career you’re probably what 31 32 and then your career is over, and then you’re again unless you’re a superstar player you’re forgotten, now what are you going to do? Now what are you gonna do with the rest of your life?” That’s where BIG3 steps in.

Not as a gimmick, but as a bridge. Sponsorship deals, media gigs, and even pathways back into the NBA have all emerged from this summer showcase. Michael Beasley is a perfect example. Haynes himself couldn’t help but highlight him: “Look at Michael Beasley, man. He got sponsorship deals now, man… his clips for our podcast, they go viral, man. He’s giving himself a second lease, second life, man. I’m happy for him, happy for all the other guys.”

And it’s not just Haynes saying it. Even NBA legend Dwyane Wade notably praised him as “one of the most talented players not in the NBA.” He then continued, saying, “This platform has allowed him to do that and not feel judged. I think, you know, he’s going through a lot. He was trying to not do certain things, walk on certain eggshells, to be a certain kind of way for people to like him or for people to give him a job or see him now.. He just gets to be Michael Beasley.”

The BIG3 has transformed itself into a thriving ecosystem where relevance, revenue, and purpose converge. And the stakes? Well, in a basketball world increasingly dominated by the NBA and the global rise of sports betting, visibility equals opportunity. The BIG3 has carved out a niche in that economy. It doesn’t stop with relevancy. Haynes reminded us that the BIG3 can be a runway back into the NBA. His exact words?

Why the BIG3 Matters for Keeping NBA Dreams Alive

“We’ve had guys who come to the big three and who get signed by an NBA team. So the NBA dream is not necessarily over.” That statement Chris Haynes gave to EssentiallySports alone shifts the narrative. For players hanging on the margins, a strong BIG3 run is more than just a medium of entertainment. So, let’s call it what it is.

A second lease on a basketball life.

For some, it’s about padding the bank account with new endorsement opportunities.

For others, it’s about transitioning into media careers while staying close to the game. And for a select few, it’s about chasing the faint but still-glowing dream of one more NBA contract… BIG3 statistics may never headline ESPN’s homepage, but they matter in different ways.

They see a dedicated audience of hoop lovers who crave something real in the NBA offseason. That demand has fueled steady ticket sales, broadcast deals, and a foothold in a basketball calendar once thought impossible to crack. The beauty here is that Ice Cube’s creation doesn’t try to replace the NBA. Instead, it fills the gap between stardom and obscurity. It gives names like Beasley, Johnson, and countless others another chapter to write.

The NBA, though, itself is evolving in ways that indirectly make leagues like the BIG3 more relevant. With the new collective bargaining agreement limiting teams from stacking multiple big contracts, the era of “Big 3” super-teams may be giving way to an era of power duos and deep rotations. Championship-caliber teams now need at least nine players who can contribute meaningful minutes, even in playoff rotations.

Take the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their versatility allows them to switch between jumbo lineups with multiple bigs or rely on shooting and athleticism to dominate opponents. But this depth comes at a cost, as retaining stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren will be a balancing act. In this context, leagues like the BIG3 offer a natural outlet for players who excel but can’t always find a long-term NBA home.

Providing them with competition, visibility, and career opportunities outside the constraints of star-driven contracts. “So again,” Chris Haynes said.

“The BIG3, you still can’t play in the BIG3 for the rest of your life, but it extends your career, where when you’re at this stage in life, you should be thinking more about, okay, now I might not have done everything the right way. I might not have prepared myself post basketball the way I should when I was with the NBA. Now I’m giving another second chance. I’m giving a longer a little bit longer leash to be able to think about, okay, what am I going to do after the big.” That reflection matters.

For fans, BIG3 is entertainment. For ex-NBA players, it’s survival. And for Chris Haynes, who’s spent years documenting the game’s highs and lows, it’s proof that there’s more than one way to stay alive in basketball’s ever-turning machine. “So it’s just been cool being able to see guys get a traditional life in basketball,” he said, summing up the reality with a hint of relief.

The NBA may always be the pinnacle. But thanks to BIG3, the story doesn’t end when the jersey comes off. It just gets a sequel.