BIG3 is getting closer to forming rosters for Season Three. Their most recent Draft Pool entrant has Memphis Grizzlies ties, though it was only a short stint.
Recently, there has been plenty of news surrounding extensions of professional playing careers of many popular players from the NBA’s 2000s era. The BIG3 league continues to build momentum in the sports and entertainment world, and they are doing so by adding a selection of former Memphis Grizzlies players.
BIG3’s Draft Pool is entering its final day on Tuesday. March 19th marks the deadline for players to submit their names in order to achieve eligibility to play in Season Three of BIG3, which is slated to tip off this summer.
Each season has drawn bigger names — continuous improvement, if you will. Season Three has gathered illustrious names such as Gilbert Arenas, Lamar Odom, Joe Johnson, Al Jefferson, and others.
Surprisingly enough, though the Memphis Grizzlies have not been known to produce a plethora of stars over the years, the BIG3 league is becoming littered with former Grizzlies.
For instance, Josh Selby recently entered the BIG3 Draft Pool. Arenas stepped forward, which obviously garnered a lot of interest from the hoops world. Plus, Stromile Swift has come out of retirement hibernaton to participate.
Additionally, Season Two introduced a handful of former Grizzlies, such as Dahntay Jones, Andre Emmett, and Chris Andersen. All the way to the end — the championship match — former Grizz players sparked some of the most entertaining moments of the BIG3 league. Believe it or not, the same should be said of their upcoming third season.
Monday brought more news surrounding BIG3 and the Memphis Grizzlies. The most recent name to commit to the professional three-on-three league is Ronnie Brewer, an eight-year veteran in the NBA.
SPLASH ALERT💦💦💦 8-year NBA vet Ronnie Brewer (@RonnieBrewerJr) has joined the #BIG3Season3 Draft Pool! pic.twitter.com/4iF9BzRAlC
— BIG3 (@thebig3) March 18, 2019
Brewer was known primarily as an elite defenseman on the wing, but he developed a bit of an offensive game in his first few seasons in the NBA. Ronnie averaged 13.7 points on 50.8% shooting in his third season as a member of the Utah Jazz.
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Ronnie Brewer was dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2009-10 season as part of a midseason transaction with the Jazz. As a talented young prospect yet to reach his full potential, Memphis was buzzing upon his arrival. However, the noise quickly died down as he suffered a season-ending injury just five games into his Grizzly tenure.
This was not just the end of Brewer’s season, but it was also the end of his time spent with the Grizzlies. He would later sign a free-agent deal with the Chicago Bulls in the summertime. Even today, one must wonder what could have been if Ronnie Brewer had not suffered that significant injury in 2010. He could have been a long-time answer as a two-way swingman in Memphis.
Both Brewer and the Memphis Grizzlies would go on to experience much better days. However, this relationship is yet one more time the Grizzlies have been singing a high note only to be washed out by bad news — injury-related news at that.
As the mantra goes, once a Grizzly, always a Grizzly. Ronnie Brewer will certainly receive supportive cheers when he takes the floor in the BIG3 league in 2019. Though his time in a Grizzlies uniform was minimal, the hype was real upon his arrival. It was undoubtedly a special moment Grizz history.