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Rapper and entertainer Ice Cube will be joining the earnings call scene by the end of the year.

Cube’s BIG3 basketball league has officially announced plans to become the first publicly traded professional sports league in the US. It entered a definitive merger agreement with Graf Global Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).

The transaction values Cube’s 3-on-3 league at a pre-money equity valuation of $290 million. It plans to list on the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “TONT” (3-on-3). The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026.

“It has been a labor of love,” Ice Cube said on an episode of Yahoo Finance’s Power Players With Brian Sozzi podcast (see video above; listen below). “I love basketball, and I always have a hangover after the NBA Finals. I’m always like, I want more. I need more. So this league was started for guys like me … It feels great to be able to accomplish this for basketball fans.”

Cube says he plans to stay on as CEO of the company after it goes public.

Founded in 2017, the league features eight teams led by iconic player-coaches like Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Gary Payton, and Nancy Lieberman. Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler is the league commissioner.

It operates under a unique “Fireball3” ruleset, which features a 14-second shot clock, physical hand-checking, and a custom 4-point shooting circle located 30 feet from the basket. The first team to score 50 points (and win by at least two) takes the game.

The league is celebrating its ninth season.

Cube said that now feels like the right moment to bring the league public.

“If we continue on the same route, we’re going to have a league [NBA] just full of billionaires as team owners … But we want to make sure the little guys can get in on it too. You know, not just the guys with the super deep pockets, but sports fans who want to grow with the league,” Cube added.

Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance’s Executive Editor and a member of Yahoo Finance’s editorial leadership team. Follow Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Tips on stories? Email brian.sozzi@yahoofinance.com.

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