Ice Cube’s BIG3 just made some major moves.
Major Win For Ice Cube: Boardroom reports BIG3 has become the first professional sports league to be certified as a Black-owned and operated business by ByBlack and US Black Chambers, Inc.
Ice Cube On The Victory: “Myself and the entire league are honored to be officially certified by ByBlack and the US Black Chambers. From day one, the league has been dedicated to providing opportunities for Black players, fans, investors, and partners, and we are proud to be a part of a nationwide network of Black business owners. Supporting Black enterprise is a lifelong passion of mine and the BIG3 will continue to build upon its successes and lift up other Black entrepreneurs,” said Ice Cube, according to a press release.
Big3 Is Making Ownership Accessible: As AfroTech previously mentioned, Ice Cube first conjured the 3-on-3 league back in 2017 in partnership with entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz.
To innovate the sport further, BIG3 integrated blockchain technology to enhance the experience between fans and their favorite players.
Now, fans can have a stake in the league’s 12 teams backed by non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Bigger Picture: For these reasons, BIG3 stood out to ByBlack for their efforts to make ownership accessible as it aligns with their mission to solve “generational problems of the Black economic agenda” by proving opportunity.
“USBC is energized by the BIG3 basketball league becoming a certified ByBlack business. This is the first step of what we deem to be a fruitful partnership, with Ice Cube’s commitment to helping other Black-owned businesses get ByBlack certified. We applaud Ice Cube for leading the way in this initiative and it is our goal to continue this partnership by collaborating with Ice Cube, BIG3, and other Black-owned businesses in the sports and entertainment industry,” said Ron Busby Sr., CEO and President of USBC, according to a press release.
