Former Kansas State All-American Michael Beasley was named the 2024 BIG3 Most Valuable Player by league players and coaches on Friday.
The BIG3 is a 12-team, 3-on-3 basketball league that was founded by musician and actor Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz in 2017. Rosters include both former NBA and international players in a variation of 3-on-3 basketball seen in FIBA and the Olympics.
Beasley is averaging 21.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists for 3’s Company, which includes former Kansas star Mario Chalmers. Beasley leads the BIG3 in total field goals (62), while he is second in scoring average and third in total points (149). The team also features former Iowa star Reggie Evans, Boston College’s Sean Williams and Florida A&M’s Nasir Core and is coached by 5-time NBA champion Michael Cooper.
3’s Company (6-3) played Bivouac (8-1) for the BIG3 Championship on Sunday at TD Garden in Boston and fell 50-47 after blowing a 13-point lead. Beasley led his team with 28 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and a block.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Beasley played parts of 11 seasons in the NBA, including four seasons with the Miami HEAT. He has also spent time in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), earning Foreign MVP accolades in 2016 along with all-star honors (2015, 2016) while playing with the Shandong Golden Stars.
The 2008 consensus First Team All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year averaged 26.2 points and a nation-leading 12.4 rebounds in his lone season playing at K-State.