BIG3 challenges Netherlands team to $150,000 game following Gold Medal victory at Paris Olympics

The BIG3 three-on-three basketball league has just issued a challenge to the gold medal winners of three-on-three men’s basketball at the 2024 Paris Olympics: the Netherlands. The Netherlands captured gold after defeating host country France’s national team. Now that they sit on top of the three-on-three men’s basketball world, the BIG3 has issued a winner-take-all challenge.

“We officially challenge @3x3nl to a game vs the BIG3 All Stars in Boston on August 18th. All travel expenses will be paid for. [The] winner takes home $150,000,” the league posted on its official X social media account.

BIG3 co-founder and entertainment mogul Ice Cube recently appeared on the Pat McAfee show to double down on the challenge to the Netherlands gold-winning men’s three-on-three basketball national team.

“We feel like they should have the BIG3 players in the Olympics,” opened Ice Cube. We do have the best three-on-three players in the world, and it’s not even close. We’re so confident that we want to challenge the gold medal winners to a game. We can play right before our championship game in Boston [on] August 18. We’ll fly them in, and they can play against our All-Stars, and we’ll see who has the best in the world.”

The BIG3 league is home to 12 teams brimming with former NBA talent. However, if the United States performance at the Paris Olympics with its three-on-three men’s national team is any indication of what Ice Cube and the BIG3 All-Stars can expect, beating the new reigning world champs might be easier said than done.

Team USA’s Jimmer Fredette breaks down three-on-three basketball

Fredette recently opened up on the differences between three-on-three basketball and traditional five-on-five basketball.

“It’s definitely different,” Fredette said. “Obviously, the pace is a lot faster, more physical, rules are just a little bit different. That 12-second shot clock is quick and there’s no help side defense in three-on-three, so you got to stick to your man a little bit different than what they teach you in five-on-five.

“Just a lot of things that took me about six months to probably get fully acclimated to and get used to. But tonight, obviously, we just didn’t play super well and sometimes that happens in these tournaments. They’re quick games. That’s what happens but you just keep moving and one game doesn’t lose the tournament.”

Fredette didn’t begin playing 3×3 basketball professionally until 2022. He made his debut at the 2022 Red Bull USA Basketball 3X East Regional and boosted team NYC Blue to win the event. Later that year, Fredette was named to the USA Men’s 2022 three-on-three AmeriCup team.

On3’s Grant Grubbs contributed to this article