BIG3 basketball, the 3-on-3, halfcourt league featuring former NBA stars and pioneered by entertainment mogul Ice Cube, will begin its third season on June 22.

And they'll do it in downtown Detroit.

Three games will kick off the season at Little Caesars Arena and the games will air on a new network, CBS.

Among those expected to participate on June 22: former Detroit Pistons world champion and radio analyst Rick Mahorn, the coach of one of the new expansion teams, the Enemies. Another expansion team, Bivouac, will play the Enemies and have former Pistons Josh Smith and Will Bynum.

Other local connections include: ex-Pistons Jason Maxiell and Carlos Arroyo and former Shock coach Nancy Lieberman and native Detroiter and Basketball Hall of Famer George Gervin.

Among the players new to the league: former All-Stars Gilbert Arenas and Joe Johnson, former Olympian Lamar Odom and former Michigan State star Shannon Brown.

The BIG3 visited last summer at LCA, and the visit was highlighted by Metta World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest, getting ejected from one of the games after kicking a ball into the stands.

Tickets for the BIG3 at LCA start at $35 and go on sale 10 a.m. Friday. You can buy them through BIG3.com/tickets, 313Presents.com, the LCA box office and Ticketmaster.com.

Contact Kirkland Crawford: kcrawford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @HiKirkHere.