The unprecedented pairing of the James family members will etch a new chapter in the history of the National Basketball Association, sparking intrigue and appreciation among LeBron and Lakers fans.

Bronny James left USC after one season. He didn’t light up the scoreboard and highlight reels, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and .7 steals in 20 minutes of game action. James’ best performance was against Oregon State when he posted 15 points.

Though execs and scouts were shy about selecting Bronny James during the draft, he’ll have no better instructor for being a professional basketball player than his father and new head coach, J.J. Redick. Drafting James will also secure re-signing LeBron James Sr., who can agree to the option for another season by Jun. 29. If he re-ups with the Lakers for this season, he’s projected to earn $51.4 million.

Bronny James must first make the Los Angeles Lakers. However, father and son will grace the basketball courts together this preseason, which will tip off in October. The first will be against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco on Oct. 7. They will play the Warriors again on Oct. 13 at Crypto.com Arena, giving the Lakers fans their first glimpse of the James Duo on their home floor.

Jason Kidd (Dallas) and Joe Mazzulla (Boston) are about to add their names to a select list. They will follow in the footsteps of the 1975 NBA Finals clash between KC Jones (Washington) and Al Attles (Golden State), and the 2017 NBA Finals where Mike Brown (interim-Golden State) and Tyronn Lue (Cleveland) met. This is a rare occurrence that underscores the historical significance of the moment.

BLACK HEAD COACHES IN THE NBA FINALS

• 2024: Jason Kidd (Dallas) vs. Joe Mazzulla (Boston)
• 2017: Mike Brown (Golden State) vs. Tyronn Lue (Cleveland)
• 1975: Al Attles (Golden State) vs. K.C. Jones (Washington)

Golden State has won two NBA titles under black head coaches.

2024 NBA FINALS BLACK HEAD COACHES: JASON KIDD vs. JOE MAZZULLA

The Mavericks are on the verge of their second championship, needing just four wins. In 2011, they triumphed over the Miami Heat in the Finals. Jason Kidd, currently the head coach, served as Dallas’ point guard back then, while Dirk Nowitzki, playing as power forward, was crucial in their championship quest.

The Celtics are pursuing their 18th NBA title in the storied club’s history since their last championship in 2008. Another NBA Finals victory will eclipse the Los Angeles Lakers for the most NBA world championships.

On Thursday in Boston, Mazzulla will be on the bench for his second game. Last year, he helped head coach Ime Udoka in the NBA Finals. However, they lost the series 4-2 to the Golden State Warriors.

1975 NBA FINALS BLACK HEAD COACHES: K.C JONES vs. AL ATTLES

Jones versus Attles was the “first championship game or series in any of the major U.S. professional sports leagues to feature two black head coaches or managers.”  Also, if my memory recalls correctly, Attles – North Carolina A&T – is the first head coach from an HBCU to win an NBA title.

Attles bested Jones as the Warriors defeated the Bullets, 4-0, as Rick Barry won the 1975 NBA Finals MVP Trophy.   The future Hall of Famers a part of the series were Jamaal Wilkes, Rick Barry, Elvin Hayes, Wes Unseld, K.C. Jones (player and coach), and Al Attles (coach).

2017 NBA FINALS BLACK HEAD COACHES: MIKE BROWN vs. TYRONN LUE

During the NBA Finals, a pivotal moment in the Warriors’ journey, Mike Brown stepped up as the interim head coach. With Steve Kerr sidelined due to severe back pain, Brown took charge and led the team to a perfect 12-0 record in the 2016-17 NBA playoffs. His strategic decisions and ability to rally the team were instrumental in their ultimate victory, winning the NBA championship in five games against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

A LOOK AT THE NBA’S BLACK HEAD COACHES

In 2022, there were some unexpected dismissals of black head coaches. For example, Milwaukee let go of their first-year head coach Adrian Griffin mid-season. Despite a strong performance with a 30-13 win-loss record, which placed them second in the Eastern Conference, Griffin was released after just 43 games.

Subsequently, the Buck hired Doc Rivers but failed to reach the conference finals. Cleveland terminated J.B. Bickerstaff after he won 99 regular-season games in his final two seasons. More puzzling is that Bickerstaff had 170 wins in five seasons and guided the Cavaliers to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The 2023 Racial and Gender Report Card (RGRC), gave the NBA an A+ rating for its racial hiring practices with a score of 96.5. In the 2022-23 season, NBA officials recorded that 70.4% of the players were black and 82.5% were people of color. White players were 17.5% of the league that season. Also, only five black chief executive officers and presidents for NBA teams existed in 2022-23: Cynthia Marshall (Dallas), Fred Whitfield (Charlotte)), James Jones (Phoenix), Masai Ujiri (Toronto), and Koby Altman (Cleveland).

Hopefully, the trend of black coaches competing one-on-one for the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy will continue. The two occurrences since the 1975 K.C. Jones-Al Attles meeting slightly suggest the NBA has a positive outlook for black head coaches and most men who look like them in the league.

BIG3 First-Round Selections

• No. 1. – Brandon Moss  (3 Headed Monster – Rashard Lewis, coach)
• No. 2. – Larry Sanders (Ball Hogs | Rick Barry, coach)
• No. 3 – Henry Sims (Tri-State | Dr. J, coach);  Amir Johnson is a member of Tri-State
• No. 4 –  Roscoe Smith (Triology | Isaiah Briscoe, captain)
• No. 5 –  Abraham Millsap  (Aliens |  three brothers on the same team)
• No. 6 – Dominique Johnson (Killer 3s )
• No. 7 – Darnell Jackson (Ghost Ballers | George Gervin)
• No. 8 – Deshawn Stephens  (Power | Nancy Lieberman)
• No. 9 – Jeff Ayrs (The Triplets| Lisa Leslie)
• No. 10 – Nasir Cole (3’s Company | Michael Cooper)
• No. 11 – Jaylen Johnson  (Bivouac | Gerald Green)

The @thebig3 Draft, LIVE!https://t.co/Yhn8JPIHbv

— Kyle T. Mosley (@ktmoze) May 24, 2024

BIG3 Second-Round Selections

• No. 12 – James “Flight” White (Trilogy)
• No. 13 – Ray Nixon (Tri-State)
• No. 14 – Austin Day (Bivouac)
• No. 15 – Mo Charl0 (Ghost Ballers)
• No. 16 –  Shakur Johnson (Three Headed Monsters)
• No. 17 –  Jamario Moon (The Triplets)
• No. 18  – Sean Williams (3’s Company | Mario Chalmers)
• No. 19  –  Hollis Thompson (Ball Hogs)
• No. 20 – Marcus Foster (Power)
• No. 21 – William Felder (Killer 3s | Charles Oakley)
• No. 22 – Dusan Bulut (Aliens)

The 2024 BIG3 Draft Picks pic.twitter.com/2iBNGwQHnI

— BIG3 (@thebig3) May 25, 2024

Season 7 Rosters Who will each team pick up in the draft? pic.twitter.com/NGoGmqZ3mU

— BIG3 (@thebig3) May 24, 2024

The BIG3 announced that the fifth BIG3 Combine will be held at Las Vegas Basketball Center on May 24, 2024, at 10 am PST, followed by the 2024 BIG3 Draft. Both events will stream live on X for the first time. Invited athletes will compete for a limited number of spots in the draft in front of current player-captains and coaches.

“We are thrilled to be returning to Las Vegas for our draft and combine,” said BIG3 Commissioner, Clyde Drexler. “Over the last few years, we’ve seen Vegas transform into a true sports hub that continues to draw more and more basketball talent. I’m looking forward to seeing what these athletes can do. You never know who will show up and where the next star will come from, that’s the beauty of the BIG3!”

Previous combines have produced league standouts and stalwarts, including 2023 BIG3 Champion Quincy Miller, 2023 4^th Man of the Year Dominique Johnson, Royce White, DaJuan Summers, Ryan “Hezi God” Carter, Jodie Meeks, and Jason Richardson.

“The combine is one the most important weekends of our season” said BIG3 CEO and co-founder, Ice Cube. “This league was founded on providing opportunity, and we want to make sure that anyone who can ball, no matter what your name is or where you are from, has a chance to show up and see if they can make it in the BIG3. This year, these athletes better be ready, because you’re not only playing for our coaches, but to the world live on X.”

This announcement follows the release of the full 2024 schedule and a number of key player signings including Nick “Swaggy P” Young, Jeff Teague, Leandro Barbosa, and Mario Chalmers. Tickets for the 2024 season are on sale March 29. Sign up for early access at BIG3.com/tickets. To learn more about the BIG3 go to BIG3.com and follow @thebig3 on X and Instagram. Full broadcast schedule, rosters, and other details will be released at a later date.

ABOUT BIG3:
On January 11, 2017, the BIG3 was born. The first-ever professional FIREBALL3 league is the brainchild of producer, actor, and music legend Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz, who shared a vision of a player-centric league focused on entertainment and innovation. The BIG3 is a league with no garbage minutes, where trash talk is allowed, and where every point –whether it’s a 4-point or 3-point shot – counts. Any given BIG3 team has hall of famers, icons and trailblazers, and the next best 3-on-3 player.

The league has led the sports industry in diversity and opportunity, becoming the first Black-owned and operated professional sports league (certified by ByBlack), the first professional sports league with a Black commissioner, the first basketball league with female head coaches, and the first professional sports league to allow the use of CBD.

In 2024, Ice Cube was honored at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, where he received the inaugural Ice Cube Impact Award, acknowledging individuals making substantial contributions to their community, the first non-player to be recognized.

Meagan Thee Stallion kicked off her Hot Girl Summer Tour twerking on Chi-Barbie with Glorilla in front of a sold out crowd at the United Center in Chicago on Friday night.

Megan Thee Stallion. Glorilla. Latto.@Reese10Angel is becoming every woman in rap’s favorite hooper.

(via: angelreese10 TikTok, Latto777 TikTok, @thewavecheckk) pic.twitter.com/v8G01WS7Bl

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) May 20, 2024

Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso had the honor of throwing out the first pitch at the Cubs vs. Braves game held at Wrigley Field on Tuesday, marking another memorable moment in her young career.

The are in the building! pic.twitter.com/B1WuSxjkUf

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 21, 2024

 On Wednesday, it was announced that Reese has become a co-owner of the women’s pro soccer team, the DC Power Football Club.

Welcome DC Power FC Co-Owner, @Reese10Angel!

“I’m honored to be able to support Power FC and invest in women’s soccer in the DMV community to continue elevating female athletes and the women’s game across the board.” – Angel Reese pic.twitter.com/BaasN16vdk

— DC Power Football Club (@DCPowerFC) May 21, 2024

Thursday night, she assisted her teammates in defeating the New York Liberty, 90-81. She played just over 31 minutes of game action. Reese has been flirting with notching her first double-double since the season tipped off. Against the Liberty, she has 13 points, nine rebounds, an assist, and one steal. She’s creating fouls and buried 7 of 9 free throws.   

LIBERTY, BIBERTY, CEDRIC DIGGORY

WE DON’T CARE ABOUT NONE OF THAT, OR YOUR LIL UNDEFEATED STREAK

SKY WIN!#skytown pic.twitter.com/ZfTZY87Vxg

— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) May 24, 2024

Angel Reese averages 12.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in her first three professional games.

Center Kamilla Cardoso projects to return from her shoulder injury on June 1. Teresa Weatherspoon will have her championship-pedigreed twin towers ready as the Sky will meet Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

LSU’s recent graduate, Angel Reese, showcased her potential with another solid performance in her second game. The rookie forward was one rebound away from her first double-double as a professional in 25 minutes of game action. Reese registered 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists in the win.

This Chicago Sky team is gonna be something special. Teresa Weatherspoon brings the energy & passion

And how great is it that Angel Reese has the respect of vets just two games in? Love seeing the relationship between her and T-Spoon #SkyTown #WNBA pic.twitter.com/Ip5wXMKsjR

— Joshua Sánchez (@jnsanchez) May 19, 2024

After her impressive rookie coaching campaign, Harding received the 2024 NBA G League Coach of the Year honors voted by her fellow head coaches and league general managers.

The Kings lost 114-107 to the Oklahoma City Blue in the Western Conference Finals on Apr. 7.

If the Charlotte Hornets decide to bring Lindsey Harding on board, she will make history as the first woman and black female head coach in the National Basketball League.

Harding, 39, was recruited to Duke University after a highly successful high school career with Cy-Fair High School in the greater Houston area. After four years with the Blue Devils, the Phoenix Mercury selected her as the first overall draft pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft.

Her professional playing career spanned from 2007 to 2017 in the WNBA and Europe. Harding officially hung up her basketball shoes after nine seasons and six teams in the league. She averaged 9.8 points, 4.0 assists, and 2.9 rebounds in 270 games during her WNBA career.

The retired veteran accepted the head coach position with the South Sudanese Women’s national basketball team in 2021. Harding was named the head coach for Mexico’s national women’s basketball squad the following year. On June 20, 2023, the Stockton Kings named her the team’s new head coach.

Here’s the comparison of TV viewership numbers between women’s and men’s title games announced by Roberts: 

• The women’s title game between South Carolina and Iowa attracted an average of 18.7 million viewers.
• During Connecticut’s back-to-back national championship campaign, the men’s title game averaged less at 14.8 million.

There’s a massive disparity in television rights revenue by gender:

• The NCAA Women’s Tournament earned $6.5 million for its television rights with ESPN.
• The NCAA Men’s Tournament’s television rights with CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV generated a significantly higher revenue of $873 million.
• The percentage difference in revenue highlights a disparity of 99%, according to Rachel Bachman.

The new eight-year, $920 million contract with ESPN, agreed upon in January, could potentially usher in a transformative era for women’s basketball.

Ralph D. Russo predicts that the deal, which grants the network exclusive rights to “40 championships, including the Division I women’s basketball tournament,” could be a game-changer. NCAA president Charlie Baker estimates that an “impressive 57% of the value of the deal — or $65 million annually — is tied to the women’s March Madness tournament.”   

We’re not focusing on how Gabbie Marshall sold it! Kudos to her, by the way.  Whether we agree or not, the ref’s call against Aaliyah Edwards at that stage of that heavyweight bout was indeed questionable…but not the sole reason UConn fell to Iowa.

I get it. As a New Orleanian who has covered the New Orleans Saints for years, the “NOLA NO CALL” will serve as the pinnacle of poor officiating… ever. There must be a point in a game where the human element doesn’t affect the outcomes and mentally scar coaches, players, and fans for years to come.

Yet, that’s how legendary moments are cemented in our minds. Growing up, for me, it would be the barbershop, schoolyard, and sidewalk conversations about “what had happened” that we still talk about to this day. And so will this one.

It wasn’t Caitlin Clark’s resilience but Hannah Stuelke’s brilliance that propelled the Hawkeyes into Sunday’s title game against South Carolina.  The power forward muscled her way to scoring 23 points, mostly the hard way, against Edwards. She had a monstrous game — she won the contest for Iowa.  Despite her herculean effort, this morning’s headlines feature Caitlin Clark and Iowa, with a mild sprinkling of Stuelke.

Losing sucks. This one will stick with Aaliyah Edwards, who willed her team back into contention that night. The senior forward scored 17 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished three assists in the loss. Coach Geno Auriemma should’ve called a pick-and-roll for Edwards to win the game. She thought her screen was “clean,” Paige Bueckers said. “Players decide the game.” In the long run, the one play didn’t ultimately affect the outcome or their futures.

Edwards will enter the WNBA Draft on Apr. 15 and become a probable Top 10 pick.

It was an monumental clash.  One foe had to lose.  Unfortunately for the Huskies faithful, it was UConn’s time.

There can only be one. On Sunday afternoon, a new NCAA Women’s Championship team will be crowned in Cleveland. Will it be the Iowa or Dawn Staley’s South Carolina squad joyous at the end?

We shall see.

O’Shea Jackson Sr, aka Ice Cube, was a founding member of the legendary rap group N.W.A. with famous artists and producers Eazy-E (Eric Wright) and Dr. Dre (Andre Young). Later, he branched off into acting in John Singleton’s ‘Boyz N The Hood’ and wrote, directed, and acted in the highly successful Friday movies.

The inaugural Ice Cube Impact Award is a groundbreaking collaboration between the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the BIG3 basketball league visionary Ice Cube.

“I have had a deep love for basketball since my early years,” Ice Cube said. “When I embarked on the BIG3 journey, I never anticipated it would culminate to the level of having an award from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame named after me. I am genuinely elated and honored.”

The award aims to recognize Ice Cube’s remarkable contributions to basketball, unparalleled passion for the game, steadfast commitment to fostering dialogues on inclusivity, equal opportunity, and racial and social justice, and significant contributions to education and community development initiatives.

“The Hall of Fame honors those whose contributions have had a significant impact on the sport at every level,” John Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, on creating an award on Ice Cube’s behalf. “The creation of the Ice Cube Impact Award further advances our foundational mission to preserve and promote the game of basketball and to be a force for positive change in the world. Ice Cube has created opportunities in basketball, music, and entertainment and continues to inspire millions through his efforts. This new exhibit and the annual trophy will honor both Ice Cube and the community leaders who use James Naismith’s ideals to build better communities.”

EVENT DETAILS

Sunday, January 14

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

1000 Hall of Fame Avenue | Springfield, MA | 01105

• 11:00 AM-12:15 PM – Clinic with local youth organizations at Center Court featuring Ice Cube and Hall of Famer and current BIG3 coach Nancy Lieberman [NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC]
• 1:00-2:00 PM – Hoophall Hangout at Center Court (Q&A with Ice Cube; hosted by Lieberman)
• 2:30-3:00 PM – Ribbon cutting ceremony and unveiling of the Ice Cube Impact Award exhibit in the Tip-Off Pavilion, followed by media availability

Monday, January 15

Springfield College – Blake Arena

263 Alden Street | Springfield, MA | 01109

• 12:30 PM – Media Availability in Room 117 (adjacent to Media Room 119)
• 1:00 PM – Halftime of Hoophall Classic – Ice Cube Award Presentation

About Ice Cube

Ice Cube, a legendary figure in the world of music and entertainment, has proven time and time again that his talents and passions extend far beyond the realm of music and movies. While initially gaining fame as a groundbreaking rap group N.W.A. member, Ice Cube has since carved out a multifaceted career that spans acting, directing, producing, and even sports ownership. Following N.W.A., Ice Cube pursued a successful solo music career. He later established himself as a prominent figure in the entertainment industry through his acting roles and contributions to filmmaking, starring in numerous films such as “Boyz n the Hood,” “Friday,” and “Barbershop.” In 2017, he co-founded the BIG3, which aimed to bring an exciting 3-on-3 basketball league featuring former NBA stars and other professional players to fans. Among Ice Cube’s many awards and honors, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A. in 2016 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2017.