*With Ice Cube‘s Big3 league approaching its 7th year in 2024, the impact made by the cultural icon-turned-businessman over the years in music, film, and sports is undeniable.
Not only has his league filled a void in the market by creating a platform for past-their-prime hoopers to showcase their still remarkable skills on the hardwood, but he has also given back and continued to create access and opportunities for members of disadvantaged communities. These achievements have been noted by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, who have decided to partner with and honor the legend by creating the Ice Cube Impact Award, set to be unveiled during Martin Luther King Day weekend in Springfield, MA, the birthplace of basketball.
Ice Cube, John Doleva, President of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and Nancy Lieberman, former WNBA player, sports commentator, and Big3 coach (team Power) made the surprise announcement during a recent press conference held via Zoom with select media, including EURweb.
“As a person and a fan of the game, I can’t even put this into words,” said Ice Cube. “I felt the same way as a group with NWA going into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I have been blown away ever since I knew that this award would really come to pass and become a reality. Never in my wildest dreams growing up loving the game, playing the game, and being a superfan of the game, did I think that I would ever have an award named after me in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.”
Ice Cube will be the first-ever recipient of the award over MLK Weekend on January 15, 2024, which is also when the top high school players and teams will descend upon Springfield for the Hoopball Classic.
From there, recognition of his contributions to the sport of basketball will be preserved in a permanent exhibit in the Hall of Fame. The next award will be given in 2026 and the following years to recognize those who have made admirable contributions to their communities.
“Launching a partnership with Ice Cube [for] an award that honors people that use basketball as a lever to help kids grow, as a way to entrepreneurship, and that keeps kids on the straight and narrow – there’s nobody better than Ice Cube to do that,” said Doleva. “I am very pleased for this partnership to happen. We have a great group of people on both sides, the Hall of Fame Side and Cube’s side. It is a first-class group of people that have come together to create this award and create this celebration.”
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB: Ice Cube Educates Twitter User Who Seemed to Blame N.W.A for the Growth of Immorality in the Black Community
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
