In February, when more details of Ice Cube’s Big 3 basketball league were emerging, from the four-point shot to the inclusion of Allen Iverson and Ricky Davis, I was irrationally excited, and the fact this past weekend’s draft was replete with utter nonsense has only bolstered that irrational excitement.

Seriously, get a load of this nonsense:

• First of all, the draft was in Vegas, and Iverson — a coach, player, captain and the league’s most marketable participant — didn’t even bother to show up. His co-captain, DerMarr Johnson, had to pick their 3’s Company roster for him and selected Andre Owens, Mike Sweetney and Ruben Patterson, which I can only assume was a calculated decision to ensure Iverson gets all the shots this summer.

• Smush Parker, or, as Kobe Bryant refers to him, “the worst,” went to the draft, told ESPN’s Arash Markazi, “I could still play in the NBA,” and then went undrafted. He turns 36 years old in June.

Smush Parker went undrafted in the BIG3 Draft today but still thinks he can play in the NBA. He was last on an NBA roster in 2008. pic.twitter.com/XpmcsLq2ms — Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 1, 2017





Among other players who were invited to participate in the Big 3 combine on the eve of the draft, and then went undrafted: Kenny Anderson, Keith Bogans, Earl Boykins, Steve Francis, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Lawrence Moten, Jamario Moon, J.R. Rider, Latrell Sprewell and Etan Thomas. Like, they went to Vegas:





• Stephen Jackson told For The Win’s Alysha Tsuji the Big 3 could put together an NBA playoff team:

From this point forward, I started asking if these guys thought they could actually help an NBA team today. “Definitely,” said Stephen Jackson. He later added, “If we took 15 guys from this league, we could compete in the playoffs today.”

And a 40-year-old Bonzi Wells, who hasn’t played in the NBA since 2008, actually agreed, via FTW:

“Definitely, we got enough guys on this stage that could play with anybody. We’ve got experience,” Wells said, while standing on stage with all of the coaches, captains and selected players after the draft. “We’ve been there, done that. It’s not like we’re some scrubs. With our experience, we could manage any game and make sure we’re in it, if not win it.”

I sincerely hope by, “if not win it,” Wells meant the championship. These guys are the absolute best.

• Kwame Brown, famously drafted No. 1 overall by Michael Jordan’s Washington Wizards in the 2001 NBA Draft and still only 35, dropped to fifth in Sunday’s Big 3 draft. And he was not happy about it.

KWAME BROWN says he's coming for Charles Oakley and Stephen Jackson because they didn't pick him. #BIG3draft — Alysha Tsuji (@AlyshaTsuji) April 30, 2017





It’s unclear whether anyone told Brown that Charles Oakley is not a man you want to be trifling with. James Dolan learned that the hard way. (For the record, Oakley, 53, is listed as a player/coach.)

• The aforementioned Markazi, one of the few national media members in attendance for a draft that was taking place during the NBA Playoffs on Sunday, was allegedly shoved twice for standing too close to Ice Cube while asking the league’s founder questions. Quite the publicity for a fledgling product.

Fun Fact: This interview took place a few seconds before Ice Cube's security guy shoved me twice for standing too close to him. Good times. — Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 1, 2017





• Asked if he was excited about being a coach in the eight-team league, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, the Big 3’s other most high-profile participant beyond Iverson, said, “I don’t think excited is the right term”:

Dr. J isn't exactly "excited" to be a coach in the BIG3 but he's "committed." pic.twitter.com/7GXbHy0rzZ — Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 1, 2017





A ringing endorsement from the good doctor. Hopefully those security guards don’t hear about this.

• Another coach, 48-year-old Gary Payton, seemingly didn’t know his age, asked, “Why would I want to play” at age 49? And then promptly drafted a 48-year-old Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf with his third pick.

Gary Payton, 48, on why he's coaching the 3 Headed Monsters in the BIG3 league and not playing. He drafted Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, who's 48. pic.twitter.com/bGspeVdcbh — Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 1, 2017

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