Dwight Howard, Michael Beasley, Gilbert Arenas, Julius Erving, Michael Cooper, and Nancy Lieberman are some of the top names associated with this league, some as players and others as coaches. Season 8 has come to an end, and the winners added a healthy compensation apart from their regular contractual salaries.

The BIG3 Championship is the crown jewel of Ice Cube’s 3-on-3 league, co-founded with entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz in 2017. With its half-court setup, finish-to-50 format, a 14-second shot clock, and even a four-point circle from 30 feet, the league thrives on fast-paced chaos and highlight moments. This year’s title game was no different—so, which squad rose above the madness and claimed the trophy?

Who won the 2025 BIG3 Championship?

On Sunday, the Chicago Triplets and Miami 305 were fighting for the bragging rights, and the latter came out on top. Miami 305 won the 2025 BIG3 Championship, clinching the title with a late-game-winning three by Mario Chalmers. The assist came from none other than the 2x MVP of the league, Michael Beasley, in a crunch 52–48 victory over the Triplets.

The two teams faced each other once in the regular season during Week 8 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. In that regular-season game, Miami 305 was ahead in the first half, but the Chicago-based side came back and put on a dominant display in the second half to get the 50-41 victory. Unfortunately, the Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius Erving-coached team, Triplets, lost at the last hurdle and missed out on the big payday.

BIG3 Championship Prize Money in 2025

“This is the most anticipated BIG3 season yet,” said BIG3 Co-CEO Ice Cube. Because for the first time, the league transitioned to a new format this season, becoming a location-based league. Even before the finals, the league owner reminded his players what was at stake. “Not only are the players competing for the Dr. J trophy, but also for a $1M win bonus. Beyond that, the play is harder, the players are tougher, and the league is more competitive than ever…”

Yes, the Miami 305 came out on top with the championship trophy and a big $1 million win bonus. Let’s recap how the team achieved this moment.

Miami 305’s Title-Clinching Moment

The score was 49-48 in favor of Miami, and it was Michael Beasley who had the possession and had 14 seconds to make a difference. And boy, he did. The 2x Big3 MVP is a master of creating spaces in 1v1 format, and has elite handles, so he wasn’t sweating. He passed the ball first to teammate, Lance Stephenson, who couldn’t get the shot in from the left corner, so the ball came to Beasley. This time, the clock was down to 4, and he found an opening.

Instead of forcing a shot, it was Mario Chalmers, who was waiting at the right corner, and drilled in the three and sealed the championship. The Miami team was on a 9-0 run and made sure to close it out. After the game, Beasley also joked about taking the shot himself.

“I actually told [Chalmers] to move. I wanted the shot,” a laughing Beasley joked after the game. “But no, he’s been doing it his whole life, been doing it his whole career. Just trust. It ain’t even really trust, it’s just knowing what’s going on. That’s Mario Chalmers.”

Mario Chalmers is known for several high-pressure clutch shot moments, with his game-tying three-pointer in the 2008 NCAA national championship for Kansas standing out as his most iconic highlight. including a buzzer-beating bank three in Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals third quarter, which was a crucial momentum swing in a tightly contested game.

Before the season began, the former Heat star opined about what winning the Big3 championship meant for him. “That I’ve won in every league I’ve ever touched.” To add context, the 39-year-old was a 2x High School champion, 1x NCAA champion, 2x NBA champion, and now adds another title to his resume.

2025 BIG3 Champions: Team Roster

If Erving was leading the Triplets, then we had Michael Cooper on the opposite end, coaching the Miami team. This isn’t the first championship meeting between the two head coaches, as Erving and Cooper competed against each other in the 1982 NBA Finals. Erving’s 76ers defeated Cooper’s Los Angeles Lakers in six games. But Coop got his revenge this around with the superstars in his team.

They had a roster of Mario Chalmers, Michael Beasley, Reggie Evans, Lance Stephenson, and Sean Williams. In fact, Chalmers was also the captain of the team, with Beasley and Evans being the co-captains. Being the co-captain and the man who provided the vital assist, Michael Beasley had an emotional reaction after the win. “Promise is kept.”

Even though he couldn’t get the game-winning shot, the back-to-back MVP Michael Beasley led the way for Miami 305 with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists. And 2025 4th Man of the Year award-winner Lance Stephenson added 14 points and eight boards.

Not too long ago, Stephenson and Beasley faced each other in a 1v1 matchup. There, it was the latter who came out on top and pocketed $100,000. From then on, there was no love lost as the enemies joined forces in the Big3. The result? A championship, individual accolades, and $1 million prize money for the team.