Interview with Clyde Drexler

Mr Drexler, you are a basketball legend and universally considered as one of the best swingmen to ever play the game. Now you are leading the BIG3 as the Commissioner since 2018. What are your tasks and priorities as a commissioner?

Clyde Drexler: My first priority is to help the Co-founders Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz – who did an incredible job to found the BIG3 – to help to continue to grow as a league, which presents a professional 3-on-3 basketball to the audience. We have the most exciting players in the world with present or former NBA stars, great coaches like basketball legend ‘Doctor J’ Erving, Rick Barry or Nancy Lieberman. And the people who promote our league are the top executives in the entertainment industry. To build a connection with them it’s another priority of my job as BIG3-Commissioner. To organise the business side and finding corporation partners for the league and our organisation, who would take the walk with us, is a big factor. Be part of the BIG3 in this role is the ultimate shell. My competition experience from my playing days are a big factor to lead the league and elevate the game in many levels, that is part of being the Commissioner.

Now the upstart, professional 3-on-3 basketball league BIG3 is on its third season already. Because of the great skill level, the high level of competition and the big entertainment around the games, the enthusiasm and interest from fans and the media for the league is increasing year by year. For the upcoming season the BIG3 will expand from 8 to 12 teams. Which development can be recognized for the league? And what’s at the top of your list as something you want to accomplish and want to build on this season for the league?

Clyde Drexler: The founders of the league – Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz – and all the cooperate partners of the league like Adidas have a great integrity in the business and it is like a family. The players love to play, the coaches love to coach and we have a great leadership team with the BIG3. My task is to make it possible to grow the sport, the league and the game that I love and make sure that the players and fans can enjoy our entertainment. We also can give back something to the community and especially to our young fans – the kids. We always give cups and gifts to the kids where we play and we in constant exchange with the community. On top of our list to accomplish is to continue to grow as a league, as a company and to get bigger and better.

„The founders of the league and all the cooperate partners of the league like Adidas have a great integrity in the business and it is like a family.“

Producer, actor and music legend Ice Cube, along with entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz, are founders of this 3-on-3-half-court basketball league. With you as Commissioner and former Oakland Raiders executive Amy Trask as CEO, there is a lot of great management-, entrepreneurial- and basketball-affine experience in the leadership. What was your first opinion when Ice Cube asked you to take over the BIG3 as Commissioner and how is working with them?

Clyde Drexler: It was an honour when they asked me to take over the league as Commissioner. As a former NBA player as well as a coach in the first year off the BIG3, it is great to be on the top of the BIG3 to help to take the league to the next level. It is a privilege to work with an entertainment legend like Ice Cube and with great and smart management people like Jeff and Amy Trask (Chairman of the Board), Jerome Williamson (former NBA player, now President Young3), Thomas Scott and many more. They are all bright professional and great leadership – we are like a team.

What do you think is so fascinating for you, the fans and the players about the BIG 3 and about the 3-on-3 on the indoor basketball floor?

Clyde Drexler: From the top of the leadership, there is a lot of talent in the league with players and coaches as well: A lot of basketball legends and members of the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame like ‘Doctor J‘ (Julius) Erving, George Gervin, Gary Payton, Nancy Lieberman and Rick Barry are Headcoaches of BIG3-teams for example.

In addition, well-known former NBA players like Baron Davis, Kenyon Martin, Chauncey Billups, Amare Stoudemire or Mike Bibby played professional 3-on-3 last year. For the upcoming season, former NBA stars such as Gilbert Arenas, Joe Johnson, Al Jefferson, Lamar Odom and Kendrik Perkins for example will participate in this league for several BIG3-teams. We continue to get the best players with a lot of NBA and basketball experience and basketball legends as coaches to play and coach 3-on-3 basketball. Only the players are a little bit older, from 27 to 50 years old, but they have to be in top condition to be part of our team.

Another reason it is so popular; they have to play half court basketball. All players we require and select for the BIG3 can all still play on a high level. We get international players like Dusan Bulut, Carlos Arroyo and others with a lot of basketball experience. Together they present the best 3-on-3-basketball in the world with a lot of entertainment around the games as well. That is fascinating for fans, the players and myself.

„I love that it is a lot of entertainment around the games. But there are many differences to the regular and classic play.“

How do you acquire these famous players with a lot of NBA experience for the league?

Clyde Drexler: It is a combination of acquiring famous basketball player and former NBA stars and ask them to come to our league – and the interest from the players themselves to be part of the BIG3. The key is to always talk to the best talent in the world and to get them an opportunity to compete on a level.

The rules from the BIG3 differ in several points from the 3-on-3 rules of the World Federation FIBA. Where do you see the biggest differences from this unique concept to the classic 5-on-5-team basketball?

Clyde Drexler: I love that it is a lot of entertainment around the games. But there are many differences to the regular and classic play, for example: Each team has six players and one coach instead of the classic team roster of fifteen players and two or more coaches. The next difference is, that a team that scores 50 points in a game first wins and you have to win by two points, without an official time clock for the game. The attacking time is 14 seconds to get a play done. Then there is a 4-point circle and the three-point line as well. The games are played 3-on-3 on a half-field. And we play three games in a row with six teams against each other. Another big difference to the unique concept of the classic 5-on-5 team basketball is the defence part inside the game. With full court basketball you have a wee side and help on defence because you have more players on the court. With only three players from each team in half court play you do not have this help and have to depend on your own. So, you have to pick players to play both offensive and defensive.

But the biggest factor is, that all over the world every basketball player is growing up with playing 3-on-3 basketball outside on the street floor, in front of their own houses or garages. Because when you grow up and you want to play basketball as a kid or a young adult for example, most of the time you do not have ten guys or girls to play, maybe only five or six. So, you have to play 2-on-2 or 3-on-3. Therefore, everyone from the fans to the players and the BIG-3-Management as well has a connection to it. The idea was to transfer this concept on indoor floors of event arenas. And of course, it is a lot of fun to watch 3-on-3 being played by the best player in the world.

The new BIG3-season will start soon. To broadcast the games, you recently got a deal in place with the well-known US-TV channel ‘CBS-Sports‘. What does this deal mean for the league?

Clyde Drexler: We have great cooperation partners like Adidas, Toyota and CBS-Sports, which will get us continue to grow and to make the game better for the fans and for our players. CBS-Sports is one of the biggest broadcasting and networking studios in the world and also in the USA, especially in covering sports. We are looking forward to this partnership and the opportunity to elevate the status of the BIG3 around the world.

Will we see the games by a streaming service provider in Europe in the near future as well?

Clyde Drexler: We are working on streaming rights with different companies to present the BIG3 around the world and wherever the fans want to see our games.

Is there a possibility or future plans to bring the BIG3 for one or two regular live games to arenas in Europe similar to the NBA with their NBA-Europe-Games in London or Paris?

Clyde Drexler: I would like to see a BIG3-weekend in Germany and other parts of Europe to present the games and entertainment to our international fans. I think Germany for example is a great place for basketball and we are working on it to make that happen in the near future. As well we have calls around the world like requests from Brazil, China, the Philippines, and others to place our events there. There is a great deal of interest from Germany as well to become a part of it. So the ‘Sky is the limit‘ for the BIG3.

„There is a great deal of interest from Germany as well to become a part of it. So the ‘Sky is the limit‘ for the BIG3.“

Another meaningful topic is sponsorship for the league. How important is sponsorship in your opinion – as with high-quality partners like adidas – for the BIG3?

Clyde Drexler: Adidas is a high-quality partner for us. They love the game and are big supporters of our business and our concept. So it is a great ‘marriage‘ because the brand Adidas is representing sport topics on a high level and is a perfect partner for the BIG3. In addition, we are working regularly to explore future business partnerships, because sponsorship is important for the development of the BIG3 and for professional sports in general. Corporation with long term partners and Global Players like Adidas will transform to more cooperation with other quality brands.

Because sport as an economic factor is unmistakable and increasingly present, basketball now offers the economy a high-quality platform to place the respective products of different companies in a game-effective manner. In return, this supports the basketball sport. – a win-win for both.

What value does the league offer for future sponsoring partners who would like to present themselves in the environment of this exciting 3-on-3 basketball?

Clyde Drexler: There is a lot of value for business partners to cooperate with us. For example, each event is always a big entertainment stage. We have a lot of celebrities to watch the games or are part of the halftime show of the BIG3-games. And there is a lot more entertainment beside the games as well. Besides that, the games are on a high level with famous players and coaches to watch.

In my opinion that is a great combination and great value for companies or potential sponsoring partners to be able to present themselves at a tournament like this. To get B2B or B2C-contact with other company owners, entrepreneurs or fans in that environment is a big win-win for both parts. As Commissioner of the BIG3, I am working with my team to get more companies like Adidas to cooperate with us as well as executing the league’s long-term strategy on all fronts.

„After your career is over and you are retired from the game, you have to be at peace with yourself and have to look for new challenges.“

From being a former ten-time NBA-All-Star, NBA Champion and member of the legendary Olympic USA-Dream Team 1992 to now being the Manager of a whole league is quite a change of ways. What new challenges does your job as Manager and BIG3-Commissioner hold compared to be a professional basketball player? And what skills from that time as former NBA-player can you still use in the business world today?

Clyde Drexler: First of all you have to work hard every day to achieve your ‘small‘ goals and hopefully they are turning into ‘big‘ goals later. You have to be diligent; you have to learn your craft, you have to be competitive and you should not be afraid to try something new. Furthermore, have to be prepared very well in any way to be successful and to be a good business manager. You should have good social soft skills to work with your business team around you. And you have to enjoy the things you are doing. In my position in particular you have to love to support the sports of basketball as well. Being a former NBA player and leader, you have to bring people together for the benefit of your company. In my opinion, these qualities and the combination of those skills should be brought along to be successful as an entrepreneur or manager as well as a professional athlete.

Do you miss the time being a professional basketball player and playing in the NBA?

Clyde Drexler: No. I do not miss the playing days anymore. It was a pleasure being a NBA player in the past. For example all the experiences as a ‘Dream Team‘-member, winning a NBA-Championship, being a ten-time-Allstar and playing with great team members like Hakeem Olajuwon (in Houston) and Terry Porter (in Portland) or against basketball legends like Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen or Larry Bird were great. But after your career is over and you are retired from the game, you have to be at peace with yourself and have to look for new challenges. I am retired from the game for twenty years now. So being a part of the BIG3 in a leadership and management role is a little bit different. But it is a lot of fun and a pleasure for me. I still love the game, so working in a management position for the BIG3 is great.

Interview: Andreas Detert / Photos: BIG3