Former Lakers Forward Named MVP of Big3 Basketball League

Former Los Angeles Lakers forward Michael Beasley has been named MVP of the Big3 Basketball League, a three-on-three basketball league founded by Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz.

Beasley last played in the NBA with the Lakers in 2018-19. He missed much of the season to help care for his ailing mother and was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in February 2019. The Clippers released him two days later. He played in 26 games for the Lakers with two starts, averaging 7.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game with the Lakers.

The former All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year at Kansas State was selected second overall in the 2008 NBA draft by the Miami Heat. Beasley excelled in his lone season of college basketball, averaging 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds per game.

After the draft, Beasley spent two years with the Heat before being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in July 2010. He spent time with the Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks before ending up with the Lakers.

In the middle of his NBA career, Beasley began playing in the Chinese Basketball Association. He began his CBA career with the Shanghai Sharks in 2014, and later played for the Shandong Golden Stars.

After being released by the Clippers, Beasley joined the Guangdong Southern Tigers. Beasley and the Southern Tigers won the CBA championship in 2019. He was also a two-time CBA All-Star and the league’s foreign MVP in 2016. He later played for the Cangrejeros de Santurce in the Puerto Rican Basketball League and had another brief stint with the Shanghai Sharks.

Beasley would later join the Big 3, where he shined this season playing for 3’s Company. The 2.05m forward averaged 21.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game this season.

More Lakers:

Long-retired former Lakers Hall of Famer to attend All-Star tribute game

Lakers’ Bronny James and Dalton Knecht Both Get Surprising Ratings for First Time on 2K