The inaugural season of Ice Cube's Big3 League proved to be a big success this Summer, but it could come at a very steep cost. The Big3 League has reportedly been hit with a $250 million lawsuit, which stems from Ice Cube and Big3 co-founder, Jeff Kwatinetz, consulting with members of the Champions Basketball League.
According to the New York Daily News' Shayna Jacobs, Champions Basketball League founder Carl George filed a $250 million lawsuit against the BIG3 League in Manhattan Supreme Court, alleging that Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz consulted with members of the CBL and stole ideas from the CBL to use in the Big3 League.
Carl George George contends that the BIG3 League signed players to exclusive contracts that precluded them from playing in another league. In the suit, George's lawyers wrote, "When certain players expressed their desire to participate in the CBL games, Mr. Cube confronted the players personally about playing in the CBL and threatened the players that they would be fined, not allowed to participate in the 52 percent of revenues bonus pool, or replaced on their teams."
Just last month, Deadspin's Tom Ley reported that the Champions Basketball League was scheduled to kick off in July, but the date was pushed back into August. The league scaled down from 16 to 10 teams and George later emailed the CBL's investors telling them the season opener was canceled and that the league was "in the process of filing a significant lawsuit this week."
In the Big3 League's first season, Team Trilogy, led by Rashad McCants, Kenyon Martin and Al Harrington, took home the championship with a 51-46 win over the Three-Headed Monsters, capping off their undefeated season. According to the Washington Post's Rick Maese, the league did so well in its inaugural season that there is talk they could look to grow next year by bringing in new players from "a deeper talent pool."
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