If you’re anything like us, you have absolutely no interest in the NBA Finals. Even though we’re not watching that Pacers/Thunder series, we’re still getting our hoops fix by regularly tuning into the WNBA this season, and beyond that, a different professional basketball league is about to begin its season.
Of course, we’re talking about the BIG3. Entering its eighth season, Ice Cube’s 3-on-3 league brings former NBA staples, multi-time All-Stars, collegiate standouts, and some Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Famers to the court for eight weeks (plus playoffs!) of summertime b-ball action. The season kicks off Saturday, June 14 (with games broadcast on CBS and Vice TV) and, yes, there will be a few former Bucks players taking part as both players and coaches. If you want see some familiar faces on the court this summer, here’s a guide to finding former Bucks players in BIG3 basketball.
Boston Ball Hogs
Gary Payton
We hate to remind you that former SupersSonics great and current Ball Hogs coach Gary Payton was briefly a Bucks player, but it’s true. When Milwaukee mortgaged its future and ushered in some pretty dark days by trading Ray Allen, the franchise got a total of 28 disgruntled regular season games from a 34-year-old Payton.
Chicago Triplets
Julius Erving
With the 12th pick in the 1972 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks selected Julius Erving. “Dr. J” would’ve joined a stacked young franchise that also had Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but Erving opted to illegally sign with the Atlanta Hawks instead. An injunction stopped Erving from joining the team’s roster, and he went to play in the ABA. When the ABA folded in 1976, Erving signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, where the Bucks draftee would finish out his incomparable career. Super cool, right? Not really! Anyway, he coaches the Chicago Triplets now or whatever.
Dallas Power
Greg Monroe
Greg “Moose” Monroe is entering his second season in the BIG3. This stint in the 3-on-3 league comes after a long NBA career that spanned close to 650 games. Of those, 170 were in a Bucks uniform. The center signed a three-year, $50 million deal with Milwaukee before the 2015-16 season and showed some definite flashes, but eventually fell out of favor with then-Bucks coach Jason Kidd prior to being traded to Phoenix in early 2017 as part of a deal that brought Eric Bledsoe to Milwaukee. Moose bounced around the Association after that, never matching the numbers he put up with the Bucks. Before his NBA days were through, Monroe returned to Milwaukee for a total of five games in the 2021-22 season.
Detroit Amps
Darnell Jackson
Former Jayhawks power forward Darnell Jackson played a total of 138 games spread between four NBA season between 2008 and 2011. Exactly one of those games was as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. During that single appearance, Jackson played nine minutes and made one shot for a total of two points. Now he’s a member of the Detroit Amps.
DMV Trilogy
Stephen Jackson
This early press conference suggests otherwise, but Stephen Jackson was not happy during the majority of his brief and tumultuous Bucks tenure. After a contentious partial season with Milwaukee in 2011-12, Jackson wound up with the Spurs before finishing his playing days with the Clippers. Jackson now coaches Trilogy.
Houston Rig Hands
None.
LA Riot
Elijah Stewart
Beyond guys with NBA roots, BIG3 also has its fair share of players with extensive G-League and international league experience. Stewart falls firmly into the second camp, having played professionally in Finland, Poland, and in nearby Oshkosh. During the Wisconsin Herd’s 2019 season, Stewart spent approximately six weeks with the Bucks’ G-League affiliate in Oshvegas. Today, he’s a Co-Captain of the questionably-named LA Riot.
Miami 305
Michael Beasley
Former No. 2 overall pick Michael Beasley bounced around the league (including three stints with the Miami Heat) before winding up in Milwaukee and reviving his career as a role player on the 2016-17 Bucks. Following 56 games—during which he posted a career high three-point percentage—”Supercool Beas” signed with the Knicks, where he played 74 games for an abysmal New York squad during the 2017-18 season before finishing his NBA career with Lakers the season after that. Now, after a couple seasons playing internationally and three years of BIG3 under his belt, Beasley returns to serve as a Co-Captain of Miami 305.
Other Players With A Local Connection
Ray Nixon
When Garlon Green left since-renamed team Tri-State a couple weeks into the 2022 season, Milwaukee native and Badgers alumnus Ray Nixon stepped in. He’s remained in the BIG3 ever since. This season, Nixon will play as a member of the Detroit Amps.