The start of the Big3 season was not for the faint of heart. The 3v3 hoops extravaganza had action on and off the court that is sure to make the sponsors cringe, but has social media locked in on the next game.
Lance Stephenson and Dwight Howard got into a scrap on the court that appeared to be taken from a WWE script.
Howard could be seen grabbing Stephenson and tossing him before officials and players intervened. Stephenson clearly didn’t want any smoke, holding on for dear life. The ruckus eventually made it to the ground while some phantom punches were being thrown.
“I Will Burn You Hoes”: DMV Trilogy Coach Stephen Jackson Threatens Players Ater Loss
The highlight of the weekend was a profanity-laced tirade by former NBA champion and head coach of the BIG3 League team, the DMV Trilogy, Stephen Jackson, who didn’t hold back while blasting his team after their first loss of the season. Following a 46-50 loss to the Houston Rig Hands, a video surfaced on the internet showing Jackson threatening his players for their poor performance and approach to the game, saying:
Stephen Jackson is a head coach in The Big 3, he just took an L in his first game of the season and this was the reaction in the locker room 💀💀
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) June 15, 2025
“All kinds of sh*t, when somebody want to fight, they want somebody to grab em. Same b***h a** (N-word) be at the hotel, begging me for shit. None of y’all wanna show out in front of these people.”
“One of you n****s is gonna get burned f***ing with me,” he continued. ” I’m not these (N-words) Google me, b***h. I will burn one of you hoes.“
These comments were made after he also appeared to try and fight a player from the opposing team, who was being held back by a bunch of people.
We all know that Stephen Jackson is a live wire, who is quick to tell you that he grew up in a town called Port Arthur, Texas where criminal activity was the norm, and he is still solid with the guys he grew up with, who made their living in the streets while he went on to fame and fortune in the NBA. Jackson also has a large platform as co-host of the legendary “All The Smoke” podcast with former NBA player Matt Barnes – another dude with a temper problem at times.
Social Media Reacts To Big3 First Weekend and Stephen Jackson Energy
Not sure if Jackson was putting on a show to get ratings and attention, but social media had plenty to say after his locker room tirade.
“Big3 sponsors gotta be on Ice Cube’s line this morning after yesterday’s “thug era” display.” said one netizen on X.
“These the most dangerous old niggas to be around. The I’m still tryna prove something” old nigga. They can’t just transition into senior citizens gracefully. They still want to dabble in the behaviors of adolescents and seek approval from young adults. Star far away from goofy (A**N) like this,” said another.
A third chimed in: “No kidding man. He tryna act like he’s birdie from ‘Above The Rim’,” said another fan, referring to the movie and the role played by Tupac Shakur in the 1994 classic. Birdie is the main antagonist of the basketball drama film ‘Above the Rim.’ He is a local drug dealer in Brooklyn, who wants Kyle Lee Watson, the film’s protagonist, to join his basketball team, the Birdmen. He’s also a killer who won’t hesitate to put anyone in their place, from his players to the opposing team.
“Stephen Jackson is 47. A 47-year-old that checks in with gang affiliates who are sub 20 years of age. It really gets no LAMER than that. what a disgrace,” said one fan who clearly isn’t fond of the way Jackson operates.
Stephen Jackson Supporters Say Back Off
Jackson also had a lot of support from less-sensitive fans and hoopers who understood the language he used and what he was trying to get across to his team, who not only lost the game but were acting as if they wanted to fight on the court. Other fans took exception to people calling Jackson old at the age of 47. Or assuming he must lose his edge because of his age.
“He’s mad at his team for fighting on TV…Wtf are you talking about,” one fan asked critics of Jackson’s tirade. “White head coaches have threatened players before. And this is a league of OLD PLAYERS, a little younger than Jackson.”
“Stephen Jackson is 47 and dude talking about homie like he’s 63,” said another fan.
“Just because you have an idea of what’s classified as old doesn’t mean a man should stop being a man or lose his spark,” said another in defense of Jackson.
Stephen Jackson Has Been Huge Part Of Big3 League
From the first weekend of action, we already see that this season of Big3 hoop is on another level as far as how they are trying to market the league and attract eyeballs. Noone understands that better than Jackson, who also had a brief stint as a player in the BIG3, starring for the Killer 3s. After the 2021 season, he switched to a coaching role and joined the DMV Trilogy, guiding them to back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022. He’s the only coach in Big3 history to accomplish that. His teams have a physical style of play that is consistent with his unrelenting personality.
He has skin in the game and while his theatrics may rub some the wrong way, most people understand that what you see is usually what you get with him. That same passion you saw after his team produced a performance that was not championship worthy.
Lock in, cause the Big3 is going to be a drama worth watching.
