The BIG3 continues to make moves ahead of its eighth season. Less than a week after announcing a new media deal that will see 14 of their games aired on Vice TV, the league has picked up veteran NBA reporter Chris Haynes as a sideline reporter.
Here’s more on that from a release:
Today, the BIG3 announced that NBA Insider and media personality Chris Haynes is joining the BIG3 as a sideline reporter for season eight. Haynes will join returning sideline reporter Rachel DeMita for live BIG3 coverage across CBS and VICE Sports, the recently launched sports vertical from VICE, that will carry 14 hours of live BIG3 games this summer. Haynes’ coverage will begin on June 14, 2025, in the BIG3 season opener at Allstate Arena in Chicago, IL. Tickets are available now at big3.com/tickets.
“We’re more than happy to welcome Chris to the BIG3 Family,” said BIG3 CEO Ice Cube. “He is the best in the business; not only is he loved by fans and players alike, but he also has a deep understanding of the US basketball landscape and the perfect balance of hot takes and insightful commentary. We see this as the next step in our ongoing relationship – one that even saw him make an appearance on the court in our 2022 Celebrity Game. His path into journalism is even more impressive than it is unorthodox, and we are honored to be a part of his journey. We know that together with Rachel DeMita, he will provide BIG3 fans with the sharp and entertaining coverage he’s known for all summer long.”
…“I want to thank Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz for this amazing opportunity and I’m beyond thrilled to be joining the BIG3 family,” said Haynes. “I’ve covered this league from its inception and it continues to push the boundaries of innovation in basketball, giving fans an up-close and personal look at legends of the game and elite competition. Ice Cube and the entire BIG3 team have built something truly special, and I’m honored to bring my storytelling and coverage to this rapidly-growing league. I can’t wait to hit the court, connect with the players, and share the energy and emotion of every moment with the fans.”
As that release also notes, it’s been an interesting and unusual run to this point for Chris Haynes.
Haynes graduated from Fresno State at 27, intending to become a coach and physical education teacher, but wound up instead working as a security guard and a freelance NBA writer covering the Portland Trail Blazers. But he parlayed that into a local TV gig for the then-Comcast SportsNet Northwest on Blazers games, then a print job at The Cleveland Plain Dealer, and then national jobs with ESPN, Yahoo, and TNT Sports (the latter of which he left at the start of this NBA season).
The BIG3 is in a season of transition, shifting towards teams representing home markets for the first time. They’re also changing their media approach, with Vice TV (which has been highly emphasizing sports recently) joining them as a media partner. That’s in addition to longstanding partner CBS Sports, which will continue to televise games as well and which will produce the games airing on Vice.
We’ll see what Haynes brings to their broadcasts, which will begin on June 14.