BIG3 bringing its playoffs to The Bahamas

One of the newest sports phenomenons to hit the globe, 3-on-3 basketball, is coming to The Bahamas.

From an urban team sport, it’s now in the Olympics, present in 182 countries and regions, and played by about 430,000 athletes worldwide.

American league BIG3, founded by producer, actor and music legend Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz, is bringing its version of the game, known widely as FIREBALL3, to The Bahamas this fall. The playoffs, consolation game, and BIG3 Championship Game, dubbed ‘The Bahamas Beach Bash’, is set for the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island in The Bahamas, August 28 and September 4.

BIG3 Commissioner, National 

Basketball Association (NBA) legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler, said they are thrilled to be coming to The Bahamas.

“Atlantis is the perfect backdrop for the 2021 playoffs for both players and fans – a slew of games that is sure to be an electrifying culmination of fast-paced, action-packed, FIREBALL3,” he said to Cision PR Newswire – a distributor of press releases. “We always have the most competitive games, and now it’s going to be even more fierce with a week in The Bahamas on the line.”

Apparently, event organizers have received permission from the Competent Authority to stage the thrilling competition in The Bahamas, and with the backdrop being the scenic setting of Atlantis, fans from across the United States and others are expected to grace The Bahamas’ shores for the high-level competition. According to reports, top-level musical performances on-court, including Junkanoo, and other fan engaging events and prize giveaways, will serve as entertainment for an engaging audience. BIG3 is set to close out the 2021 season with a bang in The Bahamas.

“We are thrilled to welcome the BIG3 to The Bahamas for its final two weeks of the season,” said Atlantis’ President & Managing Director Audrey Oswell. “The BIG3 is known for bringing top-of-the-line talent and entertainment to every venue, and it’s an honor to welcome them to the world’s most remarkable resort come August. The Bahamas is ready to ‘Bring the Fire’.”

Atlantis already serves as the venue for the yearly Battle 4 Atlantis collegiate basketball tournament, and houses the participants in the Bahamas Bowl collegiate football game each year with the exception of the COVID-19 pandemic-stricken year of 2020.

At the moment, it’s unknown if the BIG3 playoffs, consolation game and championship game will become a permanent fixture in The Bahamas.

As for the games this year, they will air live on CBS and stream on Paramount+.

BIG3 is the official creator of the new global sport FIREBALL3 and returns for its fourth season on July 10, 2021, at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Just the playoffs, consolation game and championship game are set for The Bahamas.

The league implemented notable rule changes following the 2019 season, including lowering the minimum age of athletes from 27 to 22 and opening the league to all professional and non-professional athletes. FIREBALL3 combines highly competitive, physical, fast 3-on-3 basketball action with innovative game play, including four-point shots, coach challenges, and an iconic ‘Bring the Fire’ rule which allows teams to challenge fouls, resulting in in-game one-on-one matches to determine ball possession.

This will be the first-ever professional basketball games held at Atlantis. The resort welcomed the Miami Heat organization for training camp in 2013 and again in 2016, but never before has there been professional basketball games held at the resort.

Fan attendance and capacity for the games will be determined in coordination with guidelines and protocols put in place by The Bahamas’ Government on the advice of local health and safety officials.

The league features a number of former NBA players and others from leagues around the country. The games are said to be highly competitive, physical and fast-paced, thereby creating incredible fan experiences. 

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