Ice Cube and his business partner Jeff Kwatinetz claimed a sports agency sabotaged their efforts to sign Caitlin Clark to their BIG3 basketball league. Kwatinetz accused Excel Sports Management of never presenting the BIG3’s multi-million offer to Clark in an op-ed reposted on Ice Cube’s website.
“We have reason to believe these male agents and executives controlling the sport never even shared our trailblazing offer with Caitlin let alone facilitated Caitlin meeting with the BIG3 to discuss the opportunity,” Kwatinetz wrote. “From our perspective, these representatives don’t seem to work for an individual client like Caitlin. They seem to work for the NBA mob, as their client list is a who’s who of NBA players. Do we expect them to prioritize Caitlin over the NBA – the top employer of their most highly paid clients?”
Clark was the No. 1 draft pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Kwatinetz suggested Clark’s agents hid the BIG3’s offer from the women’s basketball star out of loyalty to the NBA, which partially funds the WNBA.
“The NBA commands by fear, and they make sure their industry of agents, lawyers, managers and networks stay in line,” Kwatinetz wrote. “And that line is to prevent BIG3 success, even if it stunts the growth of women’s basketball. Amid current negotiations of critical NBA new media deals, you can imagine the pressure on the NBA feeder system easily trumps any of Caitlin’s or other promising woman players’ best interests.”
Kwatinetz disclosed details of BIG3’s offer to Clark. According to Kwatinetz, Clark could’ve earned at least $15 million.
“Ten million dollars of salary over two years, a percentage of team ownership worth millions, fifty percent of merchandising revenues from her name and likeness and ownership of a BIG3 documentary with a seven-figure advance,” he wrote. “In total, we’re talking fifteen million dollars or more to merely play a ten-game season. While still allowing her to play in the WNBA.”
Ice Cube confirmed reports of BIG3’s offer to Clark in March. Clark said she “found out about the BIG3 thing the same time you all did” when asked about it during the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.