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Hall of Fame Former Lakers Faced Off As Coaches In Big3 Final

Jeremy Hanna

May 19, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Former Los Angeles Lakers Michael Cooper talks with former tennis player and activist Billie Jean King as they attend the game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Phoenix Mercury at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
May 19, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Former Los Angeles Lakers Michael Cooper talks with former tennis player and activist Billie Jean King as they attend the game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Phoenix Mercury at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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Two former Los Angeles Lakers and Naismith Hall of Famers went head-to-head in the Big3 Championship game on Aug. 18.

Big3 is a 3-on-3 basketball league founded in 2017 by Jeff Kwatinetz and iconic rapper Ice Cube. The league consists of 12 different teams that include former NBA players and international players.

This year, the finals saw Bivouac coached by Gary Payton face off against 3's Company coached by Michael Cooper.

Both teams found themselves in the championship game after disappointing in previous seasons. Bivouac went 0-6 in 2021 and replaced nearly its entire roster for 2022, which now includes Javier Carter, Jaylen Johnson, co-captain Garlon Green, co-captain Corey Brewer, and captain Gerald Green.

3's Company took a similar route, keeping Cooper as coach and Mario Chalmers as co-captain. They thenn added on Nasir Core, Sean Williams, co-captain Reggie Evans, and co-captain Michael Beasley, a former Laker who was named Big3 MVP this season.

Although the game started as a blowout, with Bivouac doubling 3's Company's score 26-13, Cooper's squad made a massive resurgence in the second half, outscoring Bivouac by 10 points.

Unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough, and Bivouac won the championship, 50-47, meaning they got to take home the Julius Erving Championship Trophy.

A large reason for Bivouac's success was captain Gerald Green, who made six three-pointers for a total of 18 points. Green, who was in the NBA for 12 seasons, took home Big3 Finals MVP for his perimeter prowess.

Beasley was also a standout, scoring 28 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, proving he deserved the title of league MVP. Gerald Green's brother, Garlon, also had a great game, with 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists.

Payton was certainly ecstatic over the victory, shouting, "REPEEEEEEAT!" in the postgame press conference.

Payton is considered one of the greatest point guards in NBA history, most well-known for his time with the Seattle Supersonics. He joined the Lakers in 2003 alongside Karl Malone in pursuit of a championship, which he eventually won with the Miami Heat in 2006.

Along with the 2006 NBA Championship, Payton is a nine-time NBA All-Star, member of nine All-NBA Teams, named to nine NBA All-Defensive First Teams, and was the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1996. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.

Cooper, on the other hand, spent his entire career with the Lakers, working as an integral member of the Showtime era. He is a five-time NBA Champion, was named to eight NBA All-Defensive Teams, and was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1987.

Cooper has also had success as a coach outside of Big3, leading the Los Angeles Sparks to two back-to-back WNBA Championships. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this year and wil have his number retired by the Lakers in Jan. 2025.

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Jeremy Hanna

JEREMY HANNA

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