Kobe Bryant’s game inspired, not only the budding players but also the renowned rapper Ice Cube. Yes, the founder of the famous BIG3 was influenced by the Lakers legend. So, it was natural for the rapper to ask the 5x NBA Champion about his opinion on the tournament. However, he could only ask two questions before getting disappointed by the champ’s second response.

The first question posed to Kobe was whether the idea of the tournament was a good idea. In response, he nodded in agreement. The second question was quite obvious and predictable. It was whether he would like to play in the 3v3 basketball league. Without much thought, Kobe shook his head in disapproval. Every time, the rapper asked him about it, he refused.

“I even went to Kobe, asked him what you think of professional three on three? He just went, mm (nodding to say yes). I said, would you play? He was like (nodding to say no). He said, I’m done man. He said, I gave 20 years, I’m done. I said, okay, I can dig it.  I can dig it. And um, and so, you know, we just kept rolling up the idea,” Ice Cube said during his appearance in episode 6 of ‘Iman Amongst Men.

The rapper shared that he spoke to many NBA veterans before he moved ahead with the initiative. And Kobe Bryant was one of them. The BIG3 features numerous active and former NBA players. As per Ice Cube, the Los Angeles Lakers legend played a simple, yet impactful role in influencing him to start this initiative.

How did Kobe Bryant inspire the BIG3?

Ice Cube detailed the exact moment in Kobe Bryant’s career that inspired him to start Big3. Remember the champ’s last NBA Finals game? Even in his final game, he set a new record. At 38, he became the oldest player in the league to score 60 points. The 18-time NBA All-Star was playing against the Utah Jazz, and his former teammate Shaquille O’Neal challenged him to score at least 50 points. Naturally, he exceeded expectations and delivered an explosive performance.

Ice Cube, who watched Bryant showcase his skills even at that age, realized how other retired NBA players must also possess such abilities but lacked a platform. “If [Kobe] can score 60 points in his last game, he got so much game left but nowhere to play,” the rapper said during his appearance in The OG’s Podcast show.

This realization by the 55-year-old led to the creation of the BIG3 league. While Kobe refused to feature in the tournament, Ice Cube would be happy that the Mamba at least gave his approval to it. The BIG3 has been a success since its launch in 2017 with basketball stars like Joe Johnson, Isaiah Briscoe, Tony Allen, and more featuring in the league.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.