Thanks to the COVID-19 outbreak, the BIG3 is pumping the brakes a bit on some of its biggest plans.
The start of the league’s regular season has been delayed due to the coronavirus crisis, a source “familiar with the developments” told USA TODAY’s Mark Medina. The league reportedly is considering resuming in either the fall or winter. The regular season originally was slated to begin June 20.
The league’s proposed preseason tournament also has been delayed, per Medina. The tournament reportedly has been pushed off to at least August or September, but several players and coaches apparently remain on board.
The BIG3 paired up with Endemol, a media production company responsible for producing shows like “Big Brother” and “Deal or No Deal,” to develop the three-on-three tournament with a reality television twist: testing and quarantining 16 players and officials in the same Los Angeles home throughout the weeks-long competition. But concerns around the availability of COVID-19 tests appear to have given them pause.
That said, several former NBA players reportedly have committed to the tournament, including Zach Randolph, Gilbert Arenas, Joe Johnson, Amar’e Stoudemire, Greg Oden, Al Jefferson and Nate Robinson. Ex-NBA players Julius Erving, Rick Barry, George Gervin, Gary Payton and WNBA luminaries Lisa Leslie and Nancy Lieberman are on board for coaching.
For now, however, we wait.
