Clyde Drexler Hypes BIG3, Says Nate Robinson, Amar'e Stoudemire Should Be in NBA
Basketball Hall of Famer and BIG3 commissioner Clyde Drexler talked up the new season of the three-on-three league in an interview with TMZ Sports on Friday.
Drexler believes 12 to 15 players in BIG3 could conceivably be on NBA rosters:
Drexler mentioned several players and specifically said that guard Nate Robinson and big man Amar'e Stoudemire should still be in the NBA.
Andre Owens, Stephen Jackson, DeShawn Stevenson and Rashard Lewis were also identified as NBA-quality players by Drexler.
Robinson spent 11 seasons in the NBA with eight different teams.
The 34-year-old last played in 2015-16 and holds career averages of 11.0 points, 3.0 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 618 career regular-season games.
Despite standing just 5'9", Robinson is also a three-time Slam Dunk Contest champion.
Stoudemire enjoyed even more NBA success than Robinson as a six-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA selection.
The 35-year-old played 14 NBA seasons with the Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat.
He was at his best early in his career with the Suns, and he boasts career averages of 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in 846 contests.
Like Robinson, Stoudemire hasn't been on an NBA roster since 2015-16.
Although Robinson and Stoudemire are likely major draws for BIG3, Drexler made it clear that he wants to see them back in the NBA.
A stint in BIG3 worked out well for guard Xavier Silas, as he signed a 10-day contract with the Boston Celtics last season after performing well in Ice Cube's league.
Robinson, Stoudemire and others will look to take a similar path.
The second season of BIG3 began Friday, and it will run through the end of August, giving NBA teams enough time to sign BIG3 players before the start of the 2018-19 NBA season.
