Sports
Straight Outta L.A.: Ice Cube's new BIG3 team is the Riot and 'here to shake things up'
A tectonic shift in the format of the BIG3 will bring the three-on-three basketball circuit founded by Ice Cube to Los Angeles this summer.
For the first time, the teams will each represent a city as the league transitions in its eighth season to a location-based model. Teams will represent Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Washington, D.C. and — yep! — L.A.
Los Angeles’ team will be called the LA Riot. The coach will be loquacious former Lakers and Clippers guard Nick Young — a.k.a. Swaggy P — whose Southland roots run as deep as those of Ice Cube. Young starred at USC and Reseda Cleveland High before embarking on a 12-year NBA career that involved a whole lot of shooting, a handful of assists and a constant trail of lively quotes and hearty laughs.
Young often is a riot.
“I’m super excited,” Young told The Times. “Right now, we are the third-best team in L.A., soon to be second hopefully. We gotta win some championships. It’s gonna be fun. Come out and support us this summer. LA Riot — great name. BIG3 is on the rise.”
Ice Cube recognizes, however, that not everyone will consider the team name a laughing matter. His album “The Predator,” released in November 1992, was a pointed hip-hop response to the L.A. riots after four police officers were acquitted by a Simi Valley jury six months earlier despite being caught on video beating Rodney King.
In an email to The Times, Ice Cube said he supports the team name the new owners came up with.
“They chose the name LA Riot because it represents the resilience, passion, and unbreakable spirit of Los Angeles,” Ice Cube said. “This city is built on energy, culture, and a drive to challenge the status quo — just like the BIG3.
“The name embodies the disruptive nature of the league, the competitive grit of their team, and the deep connection they have with the people that make up the rich, eclectic and passionate communities of L.A. They’ll say it themselves; the Riot are here to shake things up, bring a new level of excitement to the game, and give this city a team that reflects its bold identity.”
Ice Cube was a member of the groundbreaking Compton-based rap group N.W.A. along with Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, MC Ren and and founder Eazy-E. He morphed from hip-hop musician into a mainstream movie and television actor, director and producer, and lives in L.A. with his wife of 33 years, Kimberly Woodruff.
And since 2017 he’s been a league executive after creating BIG3, which plays a short season of weekly games involving every team at a given location. The Riot, for example, will host one day of three or four games and play the rest of the two-month season on the road.
Coaches are the biggest names in the league, and Young joins a fraternity that includes Naismith Hall of Famers Gary Payton (Boston Ball Hogs), Michael Cooper (Miami 305), George Gervin (Detroit Amplifiers), Calvin Murphy (Houston Rig Hands) and Nancy Lieberman (Dallas Power) — the only female head coach of a men’s pro basketball team. Stephen Jackson coaches the DMV Trilogy and the Chicago Triplets have yet to hire a coach. The BIG3 commissioner is Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler.
Rosters will be filled during a BIG3 draft in May. Many BIG3 veterans played 10 or more years in the NBA, making it a bit younger than, say, the 50-and-over PGA Tour Champions. Rosters are full of ballers whose best days are behind them but who can shine in the half-court format.
That’s what Ice Cube, 55, envisioned from day one, but he’s not above employing marketing savvy to raise awareness. Ahead of last year’s WNBA draft, he offered Caitlin Clark $10 million to play in the BIG3 for two seasons — this in a salary structure that pays most players $10,000 per game over a seven-game season.
The BIG3 has introduced rules and concepts to make the game fan-friendly. Winners are the first team to 50 points. The three-point line is the same distance as in the NBA, but a longer shot counts as four points. A foul can be challenged by the “Bring the Fire” rule once per half, with the two players going one one one to determine its validity.
Ice Cube expects the L.A. fan base to thoroughly enjoy the basketball, and the spectacle.
“L.A. has one of the richest grassroots basketball histories in the world, from legendary leagues like the Drew to the city’s pro dynasties,” he said. “The L.A. team plans to tap into that legacy and create a full-day celebration that feels like a true neighborhood block party. Whether it’s partnering with local nonprofits, spotlighting community vendors, artists, and performers, or building programming that reflects the real Los Angeles, from the court to the concourse, they intend to make LA Riot the people’s team — authentic, inclusive and built for the city.”
Ice Cube founded the BIG3 with his longtime collaborator, media and talent manager Jeff Kwatinetz. After seven years of teams being unaffiliated with cities, the BIG3 moved to the location-based model to build fan loyalty and is selling the franchises to local owners.
The price tag is $10 million, and four franchises have been purchased so far, including the LA Riot by Shawn Horwitz, co-founder and CEO of Palm Drive Associates, a private equity firm focused on real estate and sports ownership.
“As a lifelong basketball fan and entrepreneur, I saw an incredible opportunity to bring the excitement of the BIG3 to Los Angeles — one of the greatest basketball cities in the world,” Horwitz said in a statement. “This franchise isn’t just about the game; it’s about community, culture, and giving fans a new way to experience the sport they love.”
The season is set to begin June 14 and will last two months, followed by two weeks of playoffs. Ice Cube is already looking ahead.
“The basketball energy in these cities is unmatched, and we’ve seen first-hand the power of their fan bases,” Ice Cube said. “Transitioning to a full city-based model for this season is another marker of the league’s continued exponential growth, and fans can expect an increased talent pool and a more competitive style of game than ever before.”
The next step is to go international.
“We’ve played in London, Toronto, and the Bahamas in previous seasons, and are still eyeing cities like London and Toronto for additional franchises,” Ice Cube said. “We have also entered into a partnership with the NBL in Australia and will be bringing our game over there in November.
“Best-case scenario for us is to continue to grow our style of game and have a number of BIG3 leagues running year-round in different countries around the world.”
Sports
Pirates star pitcher makes unfortunate history after being taken out in middle of perfect game bid
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Jared Jones was flirting with Major League Baseball history on Wednesday night — he got it, but it was not what he originally envisioned.
The Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher retired the first 18 batters he faced, but he was taken out in the middle of his perfect game bid after six innings.
Now, the Pirates certainly have their reasons — the 24-year-old Jones hasn’t thrown more than 81 pitches in eight starts since returning May 20 after missing all of last season while undergoing ulnar collateral ligament internal brace surgery on May 21, 2025. He was yanked with 77 pitches and likely would have needed more than 100 pitches to record the 25th perfect game in MLB history.
Jared Jones of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park on July 8, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
However, Jones left the game after getting zero run support, so when the Atlanta Braves tacked on three runs late for a 3-0 victory, Jones instead found himself in the wrong chapter of the history books.
According to Opta Stats, Jones became the first pitcher in the modern era (since 1920) to pitch at least six perfect innings and not record a win.
“It does suck. Something’s cool coming on, but I’m on what? My eighth start off of surgery? I completely understand it, and it is what it is,” Jones told reporters after the game.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jared Jones (17) makes his way to the field to warm up before pitching against the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
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Jones said he didn’t entertain attempting to complete the perfect game.
“Not with the pitch count,” he said. “Not really ever expecting to go nine right now, so that was never in my head.”
Joey Bart, traded to the Braves from the Pirates on June 18, followed a double by Mike Yastrzemski with a 422-foot, two-run homer to left-center field off a slider from Dennis Santana. Drake Baldwin added an RBI single to center in the ninth for good measure.
It was the second time in less than a week that a pitcher was taken out of the game with a perfect bid through six innings — the Miami Marlins took Eury Perez out after seven innings in which he had 92 pitches. Perez, too, is in the midst of returning from injury and has surprisingly found himself right in the postseason mix.
He was pulled for Lake Bachar to start the eighth, and the Marlins allowed eight runs to the Athletics in the final two innings, but held on to win 9-8.
Jared Jones (17) of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch during a MLB game against the Cincinnati Reds on June 27, 2026, at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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The Pirates are 4.0 games out of the final wild card spot, which is held by the Marlins.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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WASHINGTON — The Dodgers are scheduled to visit the White House on July 23 to celebrate their latest World Series title.
“President Trump is excited to welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers BACK to the White House to celebrate their World Series championship!,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement to The Times.
The date falls on a scheduled off day in the middle of a nine-game East Coast road trip for the Dodgers. The team will play three games in Philadelphia against the Phillies July 20-22 before ending the trip with a three-game series against the New York Mets July 24 to 26.
The visit continues a tradition from the Dodgers’ two previous World Series championships. They were hosted by President Biden in 2021 and President Trump in April 2025.
After the Dodgers claimed their second consecutive World Series title with a dramatic Game 7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, a visit to the White House was planned, but it wasn’t until Thursday that a date was officially booked and confirmed.
Questions swirled around whether players would decline the visit this year after it did not happen during a scheduled visit to Washington in April.
Kiké Hernández said in 2018 he was unsure he would have gone had the Dodgers won the World Series the previous year. Mookie Betts said he was undecided and needed to talk it over with his family when last year’s visit was announced. After winning his first World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2018, Betts skipped their trip to the White House the following year during Trump’s first term.
Both players, along with every returning member of the 2024 team who was with the team during its road trip, participated in the visit. The only notable absence was first baseman Freddie Freeman, who remained in Los Angeles to nurse an ankle injury.
Manager Dave Roberts, who indicated in comments to The Times in 2019 he might not go to the White House if Trump was president, also participated in last year’s ceremony.
Asked at the Dodgers’ fan festival in January about the possibility of returning to the White House, Roberts told The Times’ Bill Shaikin: “For me, I stand by: I’m a baseball manager. That’s my job.”
“I was raised — by a man who served our country for 30 years — to respect the highest office in our country,” Roberts said. “For me, it doesn’t matter who is in the office, I’m going to go to the White House. I’ve never tried to be political. … For me, I am going to continue to try to do what tradition says and not try to make political statements, because I am not a politician.”
Clayton Kershaw, who retired after last season but was on Team USA for this year’s World Baseball Classic, told The Times in the spring that he was aware Dodgers fans are split over whether the team should visit the White House again this year, but he said he is looking forward to it.
“I went when President Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”
Times deputy sports editor Ed Guzman contributed to this report.
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All eyes were on Caitlin Clark on Wednesday night as she made her anticipated return from injury in a road matchup in Los Angeles.
But instead of a triumphant comeback, the Fever spent the entire night chasing the Sparks as Clark’s rough return fueled a 106-92 rout.
The superstar never found a groove, looking completely out of sync in her return from a back injury.
STEPHANIE WHITE GIVES CAITLIN CLARK STATUS UPDATE AHEAD OF FEVER-SPARKS, BUT HER NEXT MOVE RAISES QUESTIONS
Caitlin Clark huddles with teammates as the Indiana Fever battle the Sparks. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) ((Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images))
Much of that disjointed performance falls squarely on head coach Stephanie White, who kept Clark on a ridiculously tight leash by limiting her to just 16 minutes. The stop-and-go approach could have sabotaged any chance for the phenom to establish a rhythm.
Clark finished with just 9 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Her minus-16 plus-minus told the story.
The Los Angeles Sparks were severely shorthanded, taking the floor without stars Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink.
MERCURY’S NOW-DELETED SOCIAL MEDIA POST MOCKING CAITLIN CLARK DRAWS SCRUTINY AFTER STAR’S INJURY
Yet while a depleted Sparks roster played to win, Indiana spent the night over-managing its biggest asset.
With Clark on a minutes restriction and Aliyah Boston out of the lineup, Kelsey Mitchell was forced to shoulder the entire offensive burden.
Mitchell did her part, pouring in 29 points while shooting 5-of-9 from beyond the arc.
Caitlin Clark orchestrates the Fever offense as Indiana battles the Los Angeles Sparks in primetime action. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) ((Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images))
But one hot hand couldn’t stop an efficient LA squad.
The Sparks shot 45% from three-point range, going 9-of-20 from deep to cruise to the 106-92 victory.
White’s next move is to sit Clark against the Mercury on Thursday while Boston returns.
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After Wednesday’s loss to a shorthanded Sparks team, it’s fair to question whether Indiana’s cautious approach is working. The Fever dropped to 12-9.
Caitlin Clark and Dearica Hamby face off as Fever and Sparks battle at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. (Photo by Tyler Ross/NBAE via Getty Images) ((Photo by Tyler Ross/NBAE via Getty Images))
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
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