Welcome to new episode of Power Players

and I am so excited for my next episode

here on the pod. It is with businessman,

musician, entertainer, frankly icon. And

that's Ice Cube, the one and only. Good

to see you.

>> Good to see you, too, man.

>> I uh

I can't believe I thought it was 9 years

that you launched Big 3.

You told me it was 10. It feels like

yesterday. I

What has it been like building this

league? We just got news on you now

looking to take it public. This must be

a surreal moment for you.

>> Very.

It's been a labor of love.

You know,

I love basketball.

And

always have a hangover after the NBA

finals. So, I'm always like, I want

more. I need more. And um

So, this is a league was started for

guys like me and sports fans like me,

basketball fans like me. So, um

it feels great to be able to accomplish

this

uh for basketball fans.

You know, it's not really about me.

You know, I could have probably had

these guys play

in my backyard for a lot less money.

>> [laughter]

>> This is really for the world and um

creating it and growing it and now that

the

the public can grow with the league and

you know,

and really participate in the upside of

what we're building

as a sports fan is great.

>> Yeah, there's so

Well, first of all, I remember when you

when you launched this and I'm like,

holy that makes a lot of sense.

Like, why can't this be part of the How

could they they didn't think of this?

Like, this is such a such a good idea.

Like, how did you

I mean, one, how did you identify that

there was a market for this? And then

number two, like what was that What was

that first 6 months like trying to get

something like this off the ground?

>> Um I didn't find a market. I just know

my love of basketball and how much

three-on-three I play, you know, I end

up

you know, if you really think about it,

most people play more three-on-three

than they do five-on-five.

And so

looking at it around the world,

three-on-three is more popular than

five-on-five in a lot of places. So

you know, I looked around and said, "Why

nobody professionalized it?" I mean

I looked at what FIBA was doing.

You know, it's good, but it still feels

like a amateur

backyard playground sport.

But what we're doing,

um

we elevated it to the professional level

and um attracted some of the biggest

names in basketball.

And so that's been fun and amazing.

And um

you know, we got something that people

want.

It is It's not as hard. Now, the first 6

months

were crazy cuz we thought

everybody was going to come running.

You know, we had a lot of cachet. You

know, having players like Allen Iverson

in the mix.

You know, um so

that didn't happen. You know, people

don't invest in first-year leagues too

much cuz they always fold.

And so uh

you know, we had to overcome

you know, the obstacles of doubt.

>> You know, as someone that has known so

much success over so many

decades, was it frustrating to hear no

or not get a call back on something you

are so clearly passionate about?

>> Yeah, you know, you

like

I'm a creator, artist.

You know, I do my thing.

Um

raising money is is

>> It's something else.

>> It's another, you know, it's another

thing.

Um

you know, rich people are very more

picky than poor people

>> [laughter]

>> when it comes to

you know, um what they want to get a

part of.

You know, and so it wasn't easy to get

people to

see the vision.

But I knew if you didn't see the vision,

you're probably not going to be a great

partner.

>> Mhm.

>> And if you did see the vision,

that's who I want on my team

because you know, we're going to do what

it takes to

to make it work. Um so

you learn, you know, I learned a lot of

lessons about that part of uh

you know, investments and

and trying to get something new off the

ground.

>> Why

why go public now instead of trying to

raise more money just to stay in

private?

>> Because if you, you know, continue on

the same route,

we're going to have a league

just full of billionaires, like league

you know, team owners and

it's going to be the same group of guys

getting in on the action, which is fine.

I don't mind, but we want to make sure

the little guys can get in on it, too.

You know, not just the guys with the

super deep pockets, but guys who um you

know,

sports fans want to grow with the

league.

They understand this league can be

around for a long time and as we grow,

they grow, and I giving them a shot at

it. Um

was appealing to me, you know, as a guy

who's a

been a sports fan forever. And um

you know, this this is going to be a

dream come true for a lot of people.

>> I love hearing that story cuz at the

rate we're going, all sports teams are

going to be owned by

tech executives.

That's where all this is going. Like

this is this is crazy. It's crazy.

>> nothing wrong with nothing wrong with

that, but at the end of the day, you

know, we want to give everybody a shot

at the growth of this league. You know,

they've been a part of it.

You know, our ratings are

better than MLS and NHL and

we want to continue that. We want people

to feel like they could be a part of it

without just buying a ticket or buying

merch or

you know, betting on the games. You

know, that's cool. We we we want people

to actually

you know, be enthusiastic about the

growth of this league.

>> So that the IPO is expected to happen

late this year. Have you chosen a an

exchange yet? The New York Stock

Exchange, Nasdaq?

>> Uh I believe I believe it's going to be

on the stock exchange.

>> Okay. Do they You know, in the lead up

to this

um you're going to have to meet more

investors, the company's going to go

public, you got to sell them on your

vision, etc. What is the Big 3 today?

Like what does the business look like?

>> You know, we we own all our our media,

all our sponsorships, partnerships. You

know, that's grown the league. Um you

know, the big the big thing is the media

rights deal. Um

and

it's it's you know, we've been in talks

with

different

um

different platforms.

Uh right now we're on CBS.

Um but, you know, we have games that are

not on CBS that we want to put on a

major platform.

You know,

if we stay on the path that we're on,

you know, we're going to you know, end

up taking a deal,

a multi-year deal that um

might not be right but might be

financially right. You know, by by doing

it this way

we can be a little picky. We can

um make sure that the deal is perfect

for the league

and uh do it for the right reasons

and not just do it because

um you know, we have to

to uh you know, make sure that we have

you know, financial um capital to to

keep it rolling. So

we want to you know

make smart deals for the right reasons.

This will allow us to do that and grow

at at the correct rate and not

and not try to grow, you know, too fast

with the wrong platform.

>> Sure. Are you going to be are you going

to be CEO of the company? That still

stays intact?

>> I am for now, you know, um

we find somebody uh that you know, ready

to take the reins

you know, this is this is not an easy

um thing to maneuver.

>> Sure.

>> You have a lot different high

uh

you know, high-profile personalities

uh that we have to navigate

um sometimes it takes a high-profile

person to do that.

>> Mhm.

>> Uh

and so

>> Well, you're high-profile. I'm with I I

need to hear you on an earnings call.

Like I please don't go anywhere. Like

don't hand over any reins. Like I need

to like

>> Uh I don't

>> I don't plan to

>> All right, thank you. Thank you.

>> to see this to to the end.

Uh you know, but

you know, we we we want the best man in

in every job. You know, I'm always be

the

you know, frontrunner as far as the

evangelist for the league. It you know,

it takes somebody like me. Um

you see, you know, what Dana White has

to do to to keep his league going.

Uh Vince McMahon for years, you know,

led, you know, out front now is uh

you know, Triple H, but

yeah, you you got to lead from the

front.

>> It is a it's an amazing time to be

innovating in sports. I see what you're

doing here at Big 3. I was talking to

Shaq on what he's about to launch with

Dunk Man. I even see the growth in

pickleball. And a lot of these games tie

back to like you know, pickleball with

tennis, uh you with the NBA,

uh Dunk Man with the with the NBA. Like,

what are some of these major leagues not

not getting about their own sport and

their own fan experience?

>> Uh you know, I think

a lot of those big leagues,

you know, they feel like if it ain't

broke, don't break it. So, they

you know, they they carry it with

you know, with with uh you know, very

gingerly.

You know, they don't want to mess with

nothing that's not what they consider

broken. Um

but fans want more. They want um to be

included and not just be spectators.

Uh with the Big 3, there's a there's a

huge um

uh there's a huge opportunity when it

comes to youth sports uh to get kids

playing three on three at the rec league

level. We've partnered with RCX,

one of the biggest in the business when

it comes to youth sports. So, you know,

that's a that that's giving three on

three a bigger footprint with the youth,

um playing organized um three on three

the Big 3 fireball style. And so,

you know, things like that, um expanding

internationally. You got the World Cup

going on now. We want the big cup one

day.

>> Mhm. The best on three

um leagues in the world, best on three

players in the world competing in a

major tournament for the world. So,

you know, we have a a global view a

vision of the league.

And um

you know, when you break it down,

there's three things that work all over

the world.

Soccer,

basketball,

and uh boxing or MMA fighting.

Uh and so,

you know, basketball

three on three works everywhere on the

globe.

>> What's the uh you know, I've been

watching the your league for I mean,

really almost since it started. And when

I watch it, uh what catches me is how

fast-paced it is. I mean, not that the

NBA that's the moving slow, but there's

just something very interesting and

compelling to watch what you're doing.

Not unlike I've I've also been watching

and gotten into a cell GP. Uh that

growth in that sport has been through

the through the roof as well. And their

graphics on screen are very engaging,

they're colorful, they move fast. But in

your view, like what makes three on

three so popular?

>> It's our style of play.

Um it's a real mano y mano game.

And you have to have

all around basketball skills to be

a successful in three on three.

Uh you got to be able to pass, dribble,

shoot, and defend.

You can't just be a specialist, you

know, being a three-point guy

or rebound guy or defensive guy is not

going to help you in the Big Three.

You got to be able to do it all.

And it's a sprint.

It's first to 50 win. So, there's no

there's no um time out, you know, it's

like a drag race compared you know, to a

you know, um they turn it 500. It's 500

laps. Not 500 laps, you know, it's first

to 50.

It's no garbage minutes cuz there are no

minutes.

But there is a shot clock that's 14

seconds. So,

got to get the shot up. And

it's you know, makes for very fast all

out um

game where guys can't take a you can't

take a possession off.

>> What is uh what really caught my

attention here is that you have

you have Dr. J

uh what coaching a team and you got

Clyde Drexler as your commissioner. Like

what is it like working with two icons

in this sport?

>> Uh basketball heaven.

Um

Dr. J been with us nine years as a

coach. Uh that's that's incredible. And

uh having Clyde there for eight years. I

mean nine years. One he was a coach for

one year, but then he became the

commissioner.

And um it's been a dream. You know, they

you know, basketball

royalty, you know, Hall of Famers who

um

teaching us how to

treat the athletes better than they were

treated. Uh and

and you know, we we listen to those guys

and we respect them. We've named our

trophy the

the Julius Dr. J Erving trophy cuz he

deserves a championship trophy named

after him.

Uh he's won he's won in every league but

the Big Three. So,

>> [laughter]

>> he made it to the championship, but uh

he got to win it this year.

>> It says so much about I think what you

have built that those two Hall of Famers

basically got in on the ground floor

with you.

>> They're still here.

>> And still here.

>> Um

>> That's important, you know, that shows

they wouldn't be still here if we was

putting together something that

that wasn't worth their time and effort.

And that was great for basketball.

And so,

you know, I respect those guys so much.

And

I feel blessed to be able to work with

them.

And

just to be able to hang with them and

hear those stories.

>> What um what role did sports play for

you growing up?

>> Everything, you know, it teaches you how

to

take accountability.

Um

I remember the first time I played

football

and you know, not even

and in a game, but in practice,

you know, you put on that helmet, you

strap it on,

and it's just you out there, you know.

Big brother, daddy, mama, nobody can

help you out there. It's just you. It's

your number.

And people going to know if you messed

up. So,

it teaches you

how to work as a team, accountability,

uh giving up your all,

uh understanding you can't do it all by

yourself.

Um

and just, you know,

and and in the game there's even more

pressure. So,

it is really a a great

it's a great thing to go through as a

kid

to be able to, you know, go from a boy

to a man

through sports.

>> Mhm. You know, you have so many

different facets to your career. I'm

talking to you as the CEO of a of a

company that's about to go public in Big

3, but I grew up on a personal level

listening to your music and watching

your movies. So, I mean, you're you just

announced, I think I got through it, the

next Last Friday is in development. Like

I'm a fan of that franchise. What took

so long?

>> Ask Warner Brothers and New Line and

>> Yeah.

>> Now, the leadership that was there at

the time

didn't see the vision, didn't see how

much this meant to the audience. Maybe

they did, but they were dragging their

feet on on on doing the movie.

And so, it took took new leadership who

understood the franchise and what it

means to people

who uh

who ready to promote it in a major way.

So,

you know,

I'm glad that Mike De Luca's there and

you know, he's

ready to go.

>> Do you say Hollywood underestimated you?

And it's crazy for me to even ask you

that because you have the numbers to

back it up. I Every

I look at this, I look at Jump Street,

uh which I want to mention in a in a

second a little more, but all of these

have been hits.

>> Yeah.

Um

No, I mean, some of them, you know, a

few of them

but most of them haven't. Yeah.

Uh

But, you know, Hollywood

no matter how big your movie is,

you know, when you're going in there

with something new, you're starting from

the bottom again working your way to the

top. And uh then they decide to do

sequels and then they give you a call

and

you tell them, "I told you it was a

hit."

>> [laughter]

>> Is is is Jump Street in Have you started

that? Is that Is that confirmed? Like,

where does that stand?

>> It's coming together.

>> Okay.

>> Um everybody has agreed to do it.

So, it's really about, you know, finding

the exact time and moment where

everybody's free

and then you and then go for it.

>> Do you feel like what is the pressure to

continue to make

these hits? You know, after the first

uh iterations of of, you know, Jump

Street success, uh the Friday series is

uh very serious uh success. Like do you

feel pressure that

like holy what if this is not a

hit? Like what goes through your head?

>> Uh, you know, you want to make a movie

that to me that can stand stand on its

own.

That doesn't have to rely on

the movies that come before it.

So, with something like Friday which I

have control of

um

you know, it's going through Cube

Vision.

You know, Jump Street is uh Jonah Hill.

You know, that's that's his thing and

Neal Moritz and those guys. So,

you know, I'm

I'm on the team with that.

Uh, but but with with something like uh

you know, the Friday movie, it's all

about making a

a individually funny movie that can

stand on its own for this day and time.

That's fun, you know, so

it if it make me laugh, I think it

>> [laughter]

>> I think you know,

I think it's going to make everybody

laugh.

>> After uh after all these years of

creating all this music um that's

defined generations, movies that have

defined generations, like what keeps you

motivating uh motivated just to

continue to do what you're doing whether

it's music, movies, or be the CEO of a

company?

>> Uh, I love what I do.

You know, love to uh

create at this level.

Um

you know, there's no bigger uh canvas

for artists than a

than a movie screen. Um so,

you know, it's it's creating at the

level that I want to be and

um

pretty good at it, you know,

self-taught.

So, you know, I really um

you know, want to keep it going and want

to keep giving people the stuff they can

enjoy.

Um

pass the time, you know, escape from

from their reality and

and um

feel good about it and be able to enjoy

it over and over again.

>> You know, I've had uh some cool

conversations the past month or so with

will.i.am,

Wyclef, and I asked them all this one

question. I want to ask it to you. You

had to explain the relevance

of your music um some of the early stuff

after all of these years to this

generation. I mean, I look at will.i.am

what he's done. I look at Wyclef. I

mean, titans in their own right. Look

what you've done, titan in your own

right. And a lot of this music is as

relevant today as it was when you

released it. And people absolutely love

it and relate to it. Like, how do you

explain that?

>> I think we make movie music that you

feel and not just hear. So,

is is that's the thing. You got to

you got to penetrate the ears

and um make it to the heart. And so,

if you make it to the heart, people love

it forever. Uh and so, we try to

we try to make music that people can

feel and not just hear.

>> Are you still You have a new album

coming out?

>> I've dropped a few last few years. I

dropped Man Down

>> Mhm.

>> 24. I dropped Man Up in 25.

I'm always in the lab

cooking it up.

Um

and after we finish working on this

Friday movie, I'm going to be

dropping more music.

>> Wow. How is the process different for

you than when you first started?

>> Less people in the studio.

>> [laughter]

>> Yeah, now it's all machines, right? It's

like machines and like AI agents and all

this other crap.

>> Yeah, it's less

less equipment, less people.

Um

back then it was so many distractions,

you know, outside of just making the

music and

I like making the music now. I don't

need

the distractions. I had enough of that.

>> I'm sure. Um well, I wish you much

success

with taking Big 3 public. Um please let

us know when that day is here. I would

love to talk to you on whatever

exchange, you know, we're here in New

York City. I would love to uh interview

the CEO of Big 3. I hope that's still

you. Don't be going anywhere.

>> It's going to be me.

>> Okay, it's going to be you.

>> It's going to be me, you know, uh I'm

planning to go nowhere anytime soon.

>> All right, good. We'd love to see it.

And uh I look forward to continuing to

uh follow your journey. I appreciate it.

Big fan of the sport.

>> Appreciate it, man. Thank you.

>> Thank you.

>> Take it easy.

>> All right, that's it for the latest

episode of Power Players. Do stick

around.