Four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson is far from finished. Despite averaging just 14.0 points per game last season, his lowest since his rookie year, the former “Splash Brother” is still a force to be reckoned with as he averaged 3.0 3-point makes per game at a still good 39.1 percent 3-point shooting clip.
That said, Klay made it known that when his NBA career is over, he will strongly consider playing for Ice Cube’s professional three-on-three basketball league, the BIG3.
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“Absolutely,” said Thompson with enthusiasm when Showtime Lakers legend Michael Cooper asked him about playing in the BIG3 when his NBA career is over. “Especially with that four-point ball. That gets me excited.”
The BIG3 has three four-point zones
The four-point shot is one of the innovations to the game that the BIG3 instituted to make the league’s product more exciting. Unlike the PBA league in Asia, which adopted a 4-point line, the BIG3’s 4-point shot can be scored via three 4-point zones marked with circles 30 feet away from the basket.
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One is located on the midline of the court, while the other two are 40 degrees from the midline on opposite ends. To score a four-point shot, a player’s foot must touch any part of the four-point circle.
While Klay is more known for his form than his range, we’ve seen him hit many logo 3-pointers during his NBA career. Although stats don’t count 30-footers, we know he can shoot it from way deep or the parking lot.
Former South Bay Lakers player Franklin Session led the BIG3 during the 2025 season with five 4-point shots made, while back-to-back BIG3 MVP winner Michael Beasley ranked second with three 4-pointers, and former NBA players Jordan Crawford and Joe Johnson made two apiece.
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Klay wants the BIG3 to go global
Aside from the four-point shot, Thompson also said that he wants to see the BIG3 go international one day. It’s unclear if he meant having international teams join the league, maybe because he is from the Bahamas and wants to play for a team from there. Still, he talked about BIG3 teams playing in different countries, even continents.
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“You know, that’d be so fun to see the BIG3 go overseas and do a little tour. I would love that. Or Asia. We would love that. Believe it or not, three-on-three basketball is played more around the globe than five-on-five. So the opportunity for growth with the league is incredible. So big shout out to Cube and all you guys for this incredible league. It’s awesome,” Thompson added.
The BIG3 is already going overseas later this year. As Ice Cube announced last March, he will be taking his league to Australia this coming November for a series of showcase games. While it’s not the international tour that Klay is talking about, heading Down Under is a good start for the young 3-on-3 league.
Hopefully, there will be a bigger international presence when Klay’s NBA career is over, so he will have more than one reason to join.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 1, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.