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00:00Actor, producer, rap star, entertainer. I'm talking about none other than the iconic Ice Cube,
00:06who's the co-founder and CEO of the Big Three, the premier global professional three-on-three
00:12basketball league in its ninth season. And it's going to start this Saturday, June the 20th,
00:17at the Intuit Dome in L.A. Tickets are available. And of course, you can see the action on CBS.
00:23Cube, it's Adam Schein. How are you? Pretty good, man. How you doing, Adam?
00:27I'm doing great. It's great to catch up with you again, my friend. And Cube, the momentum is so
00:32great and so strong for the Big Three. And the company decided to be the first pro sports league
00:38in the United States to go public. How did you and your team arrive at that decision?
00:45When we started this league, you know, it started off from a fan's perspective.
00:51I wanted more basketball. Nowhere to find it at this level in the summer between, you know,
01:00the end of the finals and the beginning of football. So I figured there was a lot of people out
01:07there
01:07like me. And then, you know, we went through the steps to try to get here. We got a lot
01:16of Hall
01:16of Famers to endorse the league. Not only endorse the league, but be a part of the league. You know,
01:24Dr. J has been a coach for nine seasons now. And, you know, Clyde Drexler has been a commissioner for
01:31eight. And it's just been, you know, a labor of love trying to bring great basketball to the world.
01:40And, you know, we had to fight through COVID, came out of that. And we went to a city-based
01:48model.
01:49And now it's time to expand and grow. And fans should be a part of that. You know, why should
01:55all the, you know, just the rich guys see the upside of a league that they helped build and helped
02:01start
02:03as far as, you know, making sure that we did last nine years, we have great ratings. And so,
02:10you know, it's, it's really about, you know, making sure the fans can be a part of this,
02:16not just buy tickets or merch or, you know, bet on the games, but, but be a part of the
02:23growth of
02:23the league. Very well said. And you also announced a partnership with Panini, who's now the official
02:28trading card partner of the big three. I think that's a big deal for you guys. Take us through
02:33that. It is, you know, it shows that we've built a sport that's respectable, credible. The basketball
02:43is top notch. You know, if you, you know, look at some of the basketball complaints that happen,
02:48you know, with low management and defense and style of play, you know, we don't have those issues
02:56in the big three, you know, people love, you know, we play the game the way you love to see
03:00it played.
03:01And for Panini to recognize that and come in with a multi-year deal, which is very important for a
03:08young league, you know, one year deals are nice, but multi-year deals is what make leagues last,
03:15you know, 80 years, 90 years, like, you know, the other major sports. So this is a great step,
03:22you know, for our athletes to get recognized for what they do on this pro level, the three-on-three
03:30level. You referenced it. I want you to hit it home for us. You got a lot of big names
03:34on both the rosters and as coaches this season. Give us a little taste here. Who are some of the
03:40big names that fans should really be fired up about seeing in the big three action this campaign?
03:46I mean, Mike Beasley, of course, Lance Stevenson, you know, Lance will make them dance for sure.
03:54Dwight Howard, he coming back with a chip on the shoulder. Jordan Crawford, Montrez Harold,
04:02you're going to see the Brazilian blur, Leandro Barbosa. You know, we have some great names,
04:10Amir Johnson, amazing players, you know, Greg Monroe, and the list goes on and on. You know,
04:20these are guys who, you know, still can play this game at a high level and can play the big
04:26three style,
04:27which is important. You know, so I'm looking forward to it. You're obviously a massive basketball
04:34and sports fan and we'll get to your Lakers cube in a minute, but I want to get your take
04:39because
04:40you're such a knowledgeable fan and you understand history as well. What did you think of my Knicks
04:46beating the San Antonio Spurs and breaking that 53-year drought and winning a championship?
04:54I mean, I feel good for the city of New York. You know, I got a lot of friends in
04:59New York,
05:00so I'm happy. You know, I felt that feeling with the Lakers. I know how a championship can bring a
05:06city together. I'm happy for the Knicks organization. They've been in the spotlight for a long time for
05:14the wrong reasons and it's good. And, you know, Jalen Brunson, you know, it's great to see a player
05:22that size go to the top. You know, we need to really look at players and not just look at
05:32the size of their body, but the size of their heart. And it's just great for basketball and
05:38it's great for the big three because now you got a basketball hangover and we're here to solve that.
05:45100%. I thought the exact same thing. Now, you're the perfect person to ask something that's been
05:50a monster topic for discussion in terms of the greatest free agent signing in NBA history.
05:55And I just talked to Shaq about this. I talked to Charles Barkley about this and I live for the
06:01Knicks and I live for Jalen Brunson, build the statue for Jalen Brunson outside Madison Square Garden.
06:06I still think the biggest and most important free agent signing in NBA history, Shaq to the Lakers.
06:14It was the biggest deal of all time. Your smile, your eyes right there. What is your reaction?
06:21Who was the biggest free agent signing in NBA history?
06:25Wow, that's a great question. There have been some great ones.
06:31You know, Shaq, yeah, he brought three championships in a row.
06:37So, you got to say that's got to be the biggest. You know, I don't know, you know,
06:44Dennis Rodman, but Dennis Rodman was, you know, the third piece on that big three.
06:52You know, Shaq was the cornerstone. So, you got to say Shaq coming to the Lakers.
06:58You know, I couldn't believe it. You know, it was a dream come true for me because I love Shaq.
07:05I had known him as, you know, Orlando Magic. We even toured together in Japan and Australia
07:12when he was running with the Fushnikins. So, having the Lakers, you know, having him on the Lakers squad,
07:19then, you know, having Kobe, not knowing that diamond in the rough, and then getting Phil,
07:26you know, I got to say, man, you know, Shaq got to be the biggest one.
07:29What was that like touring with Shaq? What was he like as a rapper?
07:36Oh, he was, I mean, he was larger than life. You know, he could really flow. You know what I
07:42mean?
07:42He didn't have no problems with the mic, but he did have problems with those elevators in Japan.
07:47I felt sorry for him, because Japan is not built for Shaq.
07:52No.
07:53You know, he was, you know, he was, you know, pretty, I would say he was having a tough time
08:01with the size of the things out there, but it was fun. We played basketball,
08:07throwing my alley-oop, so I got that on my resume.
08:10Absolutely. If you could throw an alley-oop to Shaq, that's pretty amazing.
08:14You know, in March, I said there were four teams, in my opinion, that I could see winning
08:19a championship this year, in no order. The Thunder, the Spurs, the Knicks, and the Lakers.
08:27I took the cheese on the Lakers in March and thought they could make a run before the Luka injury.
08:33Did you take the cheese? Do you think the Lakers could have made a run before Luka got hurt?
08:40I wasn't sure. You know, I'm always looking at the Lakers' big men.
08:44You know, we got great, you know, perimeter players.
08:48And, you know, not taking anything away from the guy that we got in there now.
08:54Get his name. Sorry about that, bro.
08:57DeAndre Ayton?
08:58DeAndre, yeah. You know, not taking that, but he needed a little help, you know, in my opinion.
09:03And, you know, when we won the championship in 2020, people call that the, what, Mickey Mouse championship?
09:13But everybody wanted it, so it had to count.
09:16Still counts. I agree. Still counts.
09:18But at the end of the day, we had, you know, Dwight in there.
09:21We had, you know, a few big men in there.
09:25And so, you know, we need some of that.
09:31If Rob Pullenka called you and said, Cube, I need your advice.
09:36I want to know what to do with the Lakers this offseason.
09:40Do I re-sign LeBron?
09:42Do I give Austin Reeves the bag?
09:45How do I make my basketball team a real threat to the Thunder, the Spurs, the Knicks?
09:52What would you tell them?
09:55I'm busy with the big three, and Rob, that's why you get paid the big bucks, man.
10:01So what do you want to see happen with LeBron? How about that?
10:04What do you want to see happen?
10:07You know, I don't mind if he stays with the Lakers.
10:10He's still a great player, but we can't expect him to do it all.
10:14We can't expect that.
10:16We have to have some other players step up to a high level.
10:21And, you know, LeBron shouldn't have to carry a team to a championship no more.
10:27I love Celebrity Row at Madison Square Garden.
10:31You understand Celebrity Row in Los Angeles.
10:35Look, actors, musicians, entertainers, you know, they're diehard sports fans, basketball fans.
10:42I think it's great.
10:43From your perspective, who in New York stood out?
10:47Scott Stiller, Fat Joe, Tracy Morgan, Chalamet is an unbelievable diehard fan.
10:53Who stood out on Celebrity Row to Cube?
10:57Spike Lee.
10:58Come on.
10:59He's been there all the time.
11:01And he paid for his tickets.
11:03So, Spike Lee, you know, out of all of them, you know, I'm happy for Spike.
11:08Like, it shows, you know, to all the fair weather fans, you know, don't be like that.
11:15You know, stick with the squad through thick and thin.
11:19And Spike is a great fan.
11:22And I'm just as happy for him.
11:24They need to give him a ring.
11:25Just as happy for him as I am for the players.
11:29All right.
11:29Let's get into that.
11:30Because we ranked Celebrity Row last week.
11:32And Spike Lee was number one on my list.
11:34So, let's make this case together.
11:36Because I agree with you.
11:38Spike Lee deserves a ring.
11:40Cube, take me through that.
11:43I mean, you've seen him there through thick and thin.
11:47You know, through, you know, Reggie Miller.
11:51Everybody was blaming Spike, you know, for losing.
11:56And he stood there, you know.
11:59And, I mean, he has more, like, Nick merch than anybody in the world.
12:06Because he's always coming with a different fit.
12:09And he's always there through thick and thin.
12:11And when you think about the Knicks, you think about Spike just as much as you think about, you know,
12:18Ewing and, you know, Charles Oakley.
12:22And, you know, all the great Knicks that's come along.
12:26Walt Frazier, you know, Willis Reed.
12:30You think of Spike just like you think of those dudes.
12:35It's amazing.
12:37And as a fan, you know, he shows you how to be a fan.
12:42100%.
12:43I'm with you.
12:43Spike Lee absolutely unequivocally deserves a ring.
12:46Let's get to the team that, frankly, I associate you with the most, the Raiders.
12:51And, Cube, I thought the Raiders, of all teams in the entire league, had the best offseason.
12:57I thought Clint Kubiak was an unbelievable hire.
13:01Drafted Fernando Mendoza.
13:03They went through the whole Crosby thing.
13:05He stays.
13:06They got a center in Linderbaum who's going to be amazing.
13:10Help out, obviously, Ashton Gentry, who I still believe in.
13:14Brock Bowers, to me, still the best tight end.
13:17They had a great free agency period on defense.
13:19Take us through the offseason and your outlook for the Raiders this campaign.
13:25We always have a great offseason.
13:28But doesn't this one feel a little different or no?
13:31You need to see it on the field.
13:33You want to see it on the field, you know, and get these guys time to figure it out.
13:39You know, everybody's new coming in the building.
13:42It seemed like the only one that's been there is Max Crosby.
13:47So, give them a little time.
13:50You know, I'm not going to put all the pressure in the world on these guys to perform day one.
13:56You know, let them gel.
13:57I just want to see them get better week after week after week.
14:01Better and better and better.
14:04But we got to stick with a group of guys more than a year or two to really see what
14:11they can do.
14:12So, you know, I'm in it for the long haul.
14:15What about Mendoza?
14:16You're feeling good that he can be the franchise quarterback for your Raiders,
14:20something you guys haven't had in a long time?
14:23I feel great about him coming to the Raiders.
14:28You know, I feel good about Kirk Cousins, too.
14:31You know, being a mentor to him, somebody he can watch.
14:35Even, you know, maybe even, you know, not start day one.
14:41You know, why throw him into the fire when you have a veteran there?
14:44And so, you know, I love to see his, what they say, maturation.
14:49And we'll see how he do.
14:51But I'm rooting for him.
14:53When Crosby was going through the trade request and going to Baltimore and the failed physical,
14:58what were your emotions following that?
15:01Because Max is, he's a vintage quintessential Raider, unbelievable player.
15:07What was your reaction as a diehard fan going through that?
15:11And do you feel like he's in the right place right now?
15:14Yeah, he's in the right place.
15:16You know, we should have learned from Khalil Mack.
15:20You just, you don't give away one of your pieces for trying to get new pieces.
15:27You know, we got to keep somebody that's, you know, have the Raider, you know, the mystique,
15:36the Raider, uh, Hartfield, beloved by the fans.
15:41He's a fan favorite.
15:43You know, we got to keep somebody that knows what it is to be a Raider
15:47to, to kind of build on what he started.
15:51You know, he's a great player.
15:53You know, we got another great player to help him on the other side.
15:56And let's see.
15:58We know Lakers Sonics was a good day for you as iconic a line ever in any of your songs.
16:04One of my favorite.
16:05What was the best day?
16:07Give me the best sports day for one of your teams for Ice Cube.
16:13Um, I mean, beating the Lakers, beating Boston game seven, um, Kobe and Ron Artest and, you
16:26know, those guys pulling it off, Pau Gasol, you know, avenging that, you know, uh, the year
16:36we lost, um, I think it was 2009, but, you know, just kind of avenging that loss, bringing
16:45the championship, Kobe getting his fifth one, uh, that was amazing day.
16:51Uh, another amazing day was, uh, you know, Freddie Freeman hitting, hitting, uh, the, the,
16:59I think it was a grand slam in the world series.
17:02I'm a Yankee fan.
17:03I remember it well.
17:04Yeah, grand slam, you know, that was amazing day.
17:08Uh, I ended up playing the next day, the next game and it, it reverberated throughout the
17:14whole, um, you know, the trip, you know, to LA and so, you know, these are great days.
17:23Can you explain what these Dodgers with Shohei Otani back to back world series, I think they're
17:30going to win another one, what they mean to the fabric of the LA sports fan and why they're just
17:36so
17:36amazing and so much fun to watch?
17:39Um, I mean, just amazing baseball players, you know, at the highest level.
17:44And I remember living in LA through the Showtime Lakers, um, through, um, you know, the three-peat
17:53with, with the, with the Lakers with Shaq.
17:56And, uh, this feels, you know, just as special, um, seeing, you know, you feel like you are,
18:05you know, blessed to see the best of the best every day.
18:08I guess, you know, like when you guys had Jeter and, and the gang out there, uh, being able
18:15just to see the best of the best every day, um, is a pleasure.
18:19I felt the same way being able to see Shaq and Kobe play, uh, Kareem and Magic, um, and
18:26now getting a chance to see, uh, you know, the big show, you know, play with Mookie Betts,
18:31Freddie Freeman, uh, you know, the guys that, that make up the Dodgers, uh, roster,
18:39you know, it's been a treat for our life for sure.
18:41Special. No question about it. I love that comparison to the Jeter Yankees.
18:45Big three and the ninth season tips off on Saturday.
18:49Go to big3.com to purchase tickets or tune in live for Eastern at 1 p.m. Pacific on CBS.
18:56Cube, you're the best, my friend.
18:58Always appreciate the time. Continued success. We'll do it again real soon.
19:02Anytime, man. Anytime. Um, and look, no fees on our tickets, which is great.
19:08That's amazing.
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