BIG3 Opener
The BIG3: A Reminder of why we love basketball as much as we do
Jun 25, 2018, 7:15 am
The BIG3 hosted a fun night of basketball. Jose Partida/SportsMap
Over the Weekend, the BIG3 kicked off their second season live from the Toyota Center, and there was no way I was going to pass on the opportunity to see this league in my own backyard.
For those unfamiliar, the BIG3’s rules are drastically different to those in the NBA. For starters, the teams play half court with a 14 second shot clock. A game reaches half time when a team reaches 25 points, with 50 being a game barring a two point lead. Perhaps the most intriguing rule in the game is the Four Point shots. Without a doubt, those were some of the most exciting moments of the night.
As 3’s Company took to podium after their win against the Killer 3’s , the infectious attitude of both Baron Davis and Drew Gooden overtook the room. It was immediately clear how much fun the pair is having. Davis and Gooden, along with their coach Michael Cooper, joked about the attendance, as compared to their times with struggling franchises in the NBA. Davis answered a media member’s question about who he thought had the better album: Nipsey Hustle or Jay Rock. Gooden even weighed in, awkwardly at that, on if he’d rather watch Basketball Wives or Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
Baron Davis was a focal point through out the night. Fans crowded around him to take pictures with him after he came to the floor to watch the rest of the games. At no point did security step in to get the crowd away from him. Davis remained there and took a picture with every single person who approached him. This is definitely nothing like the NBA.
Power made their way to the podium after their 51-31 win over Ball Hogs. Big Baby Glen Davis came into the press conference exclaiming “Man, I’m hungry.”From there, he and Cuttino Mobley, along with their coach Nancy Lieberman, explained their love for basketball and how happy they were to be participating in this league.
“When you love something, you’ll work. You, know? It’s natural, just like breathing and you can’t take it for granted. Like coach was saying, there’s a lot of things that are going on in the world where this is our therapy,” explained Mobley.
Davis remained all smiles during the press conference. That was until Coach Lieberman took the time to share with the media what had been going on with Big Baby last week.
“He had to attend a funeral the other day in Louisiana. We were talking, I said you don't need to come back, we are family first. He said: “No I need basketball. This is what I need.” At the core of who we all are, we play this game because we love it, because it makes us feel good, because of our friendships, and here we are all these years later making new friendships and renewing new friendships with this beautiful game called basketball. We actually need each other. We need the game more than it needs us,” shared Coach Lieberman.
To these guys, this is more than a check. This is more than holding on to something that has past them by. Basketball is so engraved in their lives that they breath it and give it their everything.
That was not more evident on the court than when Kryptonate, Nate Robinson, absolutely balled out against Trilogy. His team, Tri State, upset the reigning champions in a 51-34 victory. Nate hit the game winner, and grabbed Rashad McCants’ Joker mask almost causing a brawl between the two teams. Clearly, these guys still have their competitive pride, and it made for a hell of a watch.
This experience reminded me just how much basketball means to us the fans. Growing up, it was so easy to spend hours outside enjoying basketball. There was nothing like a pickup basketball game. The way the crowd would erupt when guys cross each other over, or when someone pulled a ridiculous move off in a game of HORSE.
There is a weird connection and sense of nostalgia that I felt attached to basketball and to this event. Maybe it is because how intertwined it is with Hip Hop Culture, or because I grew up surrounded by family members in their Rockets’ NBA Champions t- shirts. Perhaps the nostalgia is heightened by the fact most of these guys were in one of my favorite sports video games, NBA LIVE 2005. Regardless, that night allowed me the chance to remember why I fell in love with this sport in the fist place.
As far as the players are concerned, I am sure this season’s inaugural weekend was exactly everything they needed to continue to scratch that itch. To continue to live their life within the sport of basketball. Nothing will ever replace the feeling of doing the thing you love the most.
“Just to be able to go out there and smell the popcorn again is a great experience. I’m just glad to be here and I look forward to all the games to come,” joked Davis.
Coach Lieberman’s words still resonate with me. Being a part of the media, it is easy to forget why I am here in the first place. At times, I have to put my feelings aside. In the NBA, I have to objectively watch the Warriors win year in and year out and be OK with it. This weekend was a great reminder, though, of why I do what I do. Why we love sports as much as we do. Because when all else fails, sports, or basketball in this case, is what keeps us going. At times, sports is what keeps us together.
“We need the game more than it needs us."
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With the Astros now officially ten games under .500 for the season, manager Joe Espada is taking a lot of heat from the fanbase for the team's struggles.
While we don't agree with the sentiment, we even hear fans clamoring for the return of Dusty Baker and Martin Maldonado, thinking the Astros wouldn't be in this mess if they were still here.
Which is ridiculous. First of all, Maldonado has been awful for the White Sox, hitting .048 (even worse than Jose Abreu's .065). And for those of you that think his work with the pitching staff justifies his pathetic offense. Let me say this: Where was Maldy's game calling genius for Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and Framber Valdez last year? All of them regressed significantly.
And as far as Baker is concerned, we have no idea how much a difference he would make, we can only speculate. Baker would also be dealing with a pitching staff ravaged with injuries. And let's not forget, Baker was the guy that refused to move Jose Abreu down in the batting order, even though he would finish the regular season with the ninth-worst OPS in baseball.
The reality of the situation is managers can only do so much in baseball. Which leads us to something else that needs to be considered. Is Espada being handcuffed by the front office? Espada and GM Dana Brown both said recently that Jon Singleton was going to get more at-bats while they give Abreu time off to try to figure things out. Yet, there Abreu was in the lineup again in the opening game of the Cubs series.
It makes us wonder how much power does Espada truly have? The Astros have some other options at first base. Yainer Diaz may only have eight games played at the position, but how much worse could he be than Abreu defensively? Abreu already has four errors, and Diaz is obviously a way better hitter. Victor Caratini isn't considered a plus offensive player, but his .276 batting average makes him look like Babe Ruth compared to Abreu. Let him catch more often and play Diaz at first. Starting Diaz at first more often could also lengthen his career long-term.
Maybe that's too wild of a move. Okay, fine. How about playing Mauricio Dubon at first base? I understand he doesn't have much experience at that position, but what's the downside of trying him there? If he can play shortstop, he can play first base. He's driving in runs at a higher rate (11 RBIs) than everyone on the team outside of Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez. And he's producing like that as part-time player right now.
The other criticism we see of Espada is his use of Jon Singleton to pinch hit late in games. Let's be real, though, who else does Espada have on the roster to go to? Batting Abreu late in games in which you're trailing should be considered malpractice. Espada can only use who he has to work with. This all really stems from the Astros poor farm system.
They don't have anyone else to turn to. The draft picks the club lost from the sign-stealing scandal are really hurting them right now. First and second rounders from 2020 and 2021 should be helping you in 2024 at the big league level.
Maybe they go to Astros prospect Joey Loperfido soon, but after a hot start he has only two hits in his last six games.
Finally, we have to talk about what seems like a committee making baseball decisions. Lost in a committee is accountability. Who gets the blame for making poor decisions?
As time continues to pass it looks like moving on from former GM James Click was a massive mistake. He's the guy that didn't sign Abreu, but did trade Myles Straw (recently DFA'd) for Yainer Diaz and Phil Maton. He also built an elite bullpen without breaking the bank, and helped the club win a World Series in 2022.
The reality of the situation is Dusty Baker and James Click are not walking back through that door. And all good runs come to an end at some point. Is this what we're witnessing?
Don't miss the video above as we hit on all the points discussed and much more!
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan. We drop two episodes every week on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel. You can also listen on Apple Podcast, Spotifyor wherever you get your podcasts.