Bulls legend Ron Harper eyes coaching role after Ice Cube’s $1M BIG3 reveal

Ron Harper made his coaching aspirations known in response to Ice Cube's $1 million BIG3 reveal on Wednesday on X. Reacting to a tweet announcing an upcoming reveal, the Chicago Bulls legend shared that he wants to be a coach for a team in the 3x3 league.

"Tell him that I want to coach a team…" Harper tweeted.

The BIG3 league features pros and former pros playing 3-on-3 basketball, competing for a $1 million prize. The 2025 season will be its eighth edition, however, it will be its first season of the city-based franchise model.

"This is the most anticipated BIG3 season yet," Ice Cube said in a statement. “The play is harder, the players are tougher, and the league is more competitive than ever. Our fans have the chance to be part of history every week when each team makes their hometown debut.

"Everyone knows that the BIG3 isn’t just what is done on the court ― when we come to town, you know there is music, culture, and community to be had. We can’t wait for our fans to meet their teams and experience another summer of the best 3-on-3 basketball."

The 10-week-long league will feature games played in each of the eight cities that have a franchise. The season is set to tip off on June 14 at Allstate Arena in Chicago.

Ron Harper reflects on a "what if" trade impact

Ron Harper started his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he played over three seasons. He was traded to the LA Clippers in a controversial trade in 1989, which got the Cavaliers the rights to Danny Ferry.

A fan posed a "what if" question on X on Wednesday, questioning the probable impact had the Cavs not traded Harper early in his fourth season. Reflecting on the scenario, the five-time NBA champion shared that the team would've won more regular-season games and would've made it to the NBA Finals, beating even the Chicago Bulls dynasty.

"More winning season and winning the east...." Harper responded on Tuesday.

Harper had previously made a similar claim in 2010:

"I think we would have won more than one ring," Ron Harper said. "We would have had to beat Chicago, we would have had to beat Detroit, we would have had to beat the [Boston] Celtics. There were a few teams we would have had to play against, but I felt that we were young enough and naive [enough] to feel that we were that good."

After a five-season stint with the LA Clippers, Ron Harper won his first three championship titles with the Chicago Bulls during their second three-peat run from 1996-1998. He then signed with the LA Lakers in 1999, where he won back-to-back championships in 2000 and 2001 before retiring.