West Coast veteran and hip-hop legend Ice Cube was quick to defend his brand online after The Ringer published an article entitled "Joe Johnson Is the Big3’s First God." While the name seems harmless enough, it is followed by the tag line, "Have you ever wondered what would happen if a seven-time NBA All-Star played in a three-on-three league against a bunch of washed retirees?" The writer of the piece, Rodger Sherman, tweeted a link to the article which caught the attention of Cube. The result was a concise yet stinging reproach. "This is very disrespectful. Washed? I’d like to see you get your ass out there with them," wrote Cube after retweeting the article.
Public Enemy’s Chuck D hopped in the conversation as well, sub-tweeting his support for Cube. “Cube THAT same person would pass the Fcuk Out after a 45 second argument,” he wrote. The article in question does call players washed at once point, but then takes a step back to reassess the statement. "The Big3 originally seemed like a way for washed ex-ballers to con fans into financing their retirements via half-assed pickup games," writes Sherman. "Three years in, though, the league has survived and carved out a niche," he continues. "The players are increasingly NBA-adjacent, and everyone appears generally interested in winning."