A variety of former NBA stars will be featured on the BIG3 basketball league teams which begin their season later this month. Among the former stars of the National Basketball Association in this new league will be Larry Hughes, Ruben Patterson, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Kwame Brown. Here's the latest information on this exciting new league including their season start date and how to watch games.

What is the BIG3 League?

The newest basketball league was launched by hip-hop star/actor Ice Cube and Basketball Hall of Fame member Allen Iverson. The BIG3 league features eight teams competing in 3-on-3 games with the inclusion of a "four-point shot." Several former stars from the NBA will be serving as team captains, with former NBA players on the rosters as well.

For example, Iverson will be the captain of the team 3's Company with DerMarr Johnson as the co-captain. This team features Andre Owens, Mike Sweetney, and former Portland Trail Blazers star Ruben Patterson. David Hawkins will be the team's reserve.

There's also the 3 Headed Monsters captained by Rashard Lewis and Jason Williams. This team features former No. 1 NBA pick Kwame Brown, former Denver Nuggets star Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, and Eddie Basden, with Gary Payton as the coach and Hakim Warrick as the reserve.

Kenyon Martin and Al Harrington head up the team known as Trilogy. Playing for this squad will be James White, Dion Glover, Rashad McCants and reserve player Jannero Pargo. Former Detroit Pistons "Bad Boys" star Rick Mahorn will serve as the coach.

The Killers 3s are another squad in the BIG3 league. Chauncey Billups and Stephen Jackson are the captain and co-captain.

Their team features Larry Huges, Reggie Evans and Brian Cook, with Eddie Robinson as the reserve. Former Knicks, Bulls, and Raptors star Charles Oakley will be the player coach.

Those are just four of the teams in this exciting new league. Other teams include the Ghost Ballers, Ballhogs, Tri-State, and Power. Among the coaching staff and players involved with these other teams are Jermaine O'Neal, Julius "Dr.

J" Erving, Mike Bibby, Jerome Williams, Moochie Norris, and Brian Scalabrine. Full team rosters can be seen at the Big3.com website.

When does BIG3 start?

The new BIG3 basketball league will be on tour around the United States with tickets currently available for most of the regions. The league will have its official 2017 season start on Sunday, June 25th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

A total of 10 weeks will make up the BIG3 schedule this summer. These include stops in Charlotte, Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas, Tulsa, Lexington (KY), and Los Angeles. The season will hit their playoffs on August 20th at Key Arena in Seattle, with the BIG3 Championship scheduled for August 26th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tickets are currently available for sale on Ticketmaster.

It should be interesting to see how this brand new form of basketball does, with the backing of stars Ice Cube and Allen Iverson. As of right now, there seem to be some impressive basketball names attached to the various teams, but it will remain to be seen if it captures the attention of the public and makes money.
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