If we have new-school rules, I really think that we would have made adjustments. If we have old-school rules, then Golden State would stand a chance. You can compare eras, but they changed rules to make it more fluid. Rules are made to change, to provide different ways to attack. Mahorn: You know what’s funny about you asking me that question? I think it’s very interesting because people think that the era we played in was more goon basketball, but you learn to adjust. Let me ask you, old rules or new rules, does your Pistons team beat the Warriors? Reggie said he would take the Bad Boys, among a few others, over Golden State. JLEIII: Switching gears a little bit - I’m not sure if you caught the conversation Dan Patrick and Reggie Miller had the other day on “The Dan Patrick Show,” but Dan asked Reggie if he thought if the Warriors’ starting five is the best starting unit in the last 40 years. I like edge players, and these two guys understand their roles. I think if you’re looking for backups, or guys that can help you in your locker room, these two guys have an edge. A guy I had on my team, James White, and another guy I had on my team, Rashad McCants. JLEIII: Of all the former players in the league, are there any you feel could step back into the NBA right now and be effective? Then the next thing you know they said, “We want you to coach in the Big3.” I said, “Cool. Then you end up having a guy like Dion Glover, who I coached, from the Atlanta Hawks. I have my nephew, Al Harrington (a longtime family friend who Mahorn considers like family), and I’ve known Kenyon (Martin) since he’s been in the league, because of the way he plays, from when the Pistons used to play against the Nets. You have a selection of coaches, and they look. The process … actually, the players are the GMs. They have some good people in there.” I gave my agent a call and also gave Ice Cube a call. Mahorn: When I heard about the league, it was like, “OK. JLEIII: When you heard about the league, did you reach out to Cube or was there a process to become the coach? Ice Cube said, “I’m going to take you to Sizzler.” I won the bet, and we became friends ever since then. We made a bet back then (in 2004 - the Pistons beat Ice Cube’s Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA title), just betting dinner. It started with Chuck D and Public Enemy, and then Ice Cube comes on the scene with N.W.A, and I was like, “Oh, man. Ice Cube was there on the sideline, and I was always a fan of his music because Public Enemy was my first love once you started hearing hip-hop with a conscious element. Back to the 2004 championship that the Pistons won. JLEIII: If I’m not mistaken, you and Ice Cube have a relationship that goes back, right? And 3-on-3, to me, is a structure like the NBA, except you’re playing half of the court. At that particular time, it was just the roots of growing up in the streets. But if you have seven guys, you can play 3-on-3 with a sub. You’re not going to find guys that can play 5-on-5. Rick Mahorn: When I heard about the Big3, I was excited because it’s 3-on-3 basketball, which is nothing more than a format that we had growing up as kids. What were your initial thoughts when you first heard about the league? Edwards III: Year 2 of the Big3 is about to gear up for you. ( Portions of this interview have been edited for clarity and length.) He also discussed his relationship with Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, his involvement in all three “brawls” at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Larry Bird’s trash talking and the 1989 NBA expansion draft. And when you’ve been around professional basketball for as long as he has, from the NBA to the WNBA and everything in between, you have stories.īefore gearing up for Year 2 of the Big3, which begins next month in Houston, Mahorn chatted with The Athletic about his decision to join the newly formed league, his days as a member of the Bad Boys and how he’s confident they would take down the current Golden State Warriors and 2004 Pistons championship team. The 59-year-old Mahorn is as candid as they come.
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