FIBA Blocks Ice Cube's 33 Challenge With Gold Medalist Netherlands

The Big3’s challenge was accepted by the Netherlands, the gold medal winner of 3×3 basketball at the Paris Olympics. But the game is unlikely to take place.

Big3 cofounder Ice Cube (above) said during a playoff game in Nashville on Sunday that the Netherlands accepted the invitation he issued earlier this month to have the gold medal winner face off with an All-Star group of Big3 players. Cube promised to pay for the team’s flight and accommodations, and he offered a cash prize of $250,000 if it could beat the Big3’s contingent.

However, Cube said that the game, which was scheduled alongside the league’s All-Star Game on Aug. 18 in Boston, is unlikely to take place—and he claims it’s because of FIBA, the sport’s international governing body.

“To [Netherlands’] credit, they accepted the challenge,” Cube said. “But it’s FIBA—FIBA is scared of the Big3, so FIBA’s preventing them from playing in our All-Star Game. Don’t look like it’s gonna happen because of that. It sucks when politicians get in the way of sports and fandom.”

FIBA wrote in a letter obtained by Front Office Sports that the reason the Netherlands team was denied is because its rules indicate that players who want to participate in non-FIBA-sanctioned events must request approval at least three weeks before the event. The Netherlands sent its request Aug. 9.



https://frontofficesports.com/fiba-blocks-ice-cubes-3x3-challenge-with-gold-medalists-netherlands/