Things escalated quickly during the opening weekend of the 2025 Big 3 season. At the center of it all were former No. 1 overall pick Dwight Howard and retired NBA veteran Lance Stephenson.
Howard, who is in his first season playing in the 3-on-3 basketball league, is the star player on the new LA Riot team. They opened the new season against Stephenson’s Miami 305 squad, and as the game wound down, tensions rose.
After the two got tangled up, they exchanged words before the run-in got physical and spilled into the crowd. The CBS broadcast panned to Big 3 founder Ice Cube, who remained calm on the surface while two of the league’s biggest names were involved in a physical altercation.
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Here’s everything to know about what went down between Howard and Stephenson.
Dwight Howard-Lance Stephenson fight video
As Miami neared the game’s target score of 50, play became physical between both teams. Howard appeared to take exception to Stephenson’s physicality, and the two were in a face-to-face argument, which quickly escalated.
After Howard appeared to express frustration with Stephenson, things got physical. Stephenson raised his hand to Howard, who then forcibly moved the hand away before putting Stephenson in a headlock as the two tussled into the crowd.
The broadcast angle captured the beginning of the altercation while an in-arena viewpoint shows just how close things were to becoming dangerous for fans.
LANCE STEPHENSON VS. DWIGHT HOWARD FIGHT. ???
(h/t @redapples)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 14, 2025
Dwight Howard and Lance Stephenson get ejected for a scuffle in their @TheBIG3 debuts ? pic.twitter.com/rm6UxgQW9o
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) June 14, 2025
Both players were ejected for their roles in the altercation, and in their absence, the Miami 305 reached the target score courtesy of a layup from former Heat guard Mario Chalmers.
Big 3 salary
Specific figures for the Big 3 are not known, but it has been reported that players earn $10,000 per game. They also receive bonuses for individual and team success.
The schedule is played weekly, and the 2025 circuit features eight games before the playoffs begin. There are eight teams in the league, and four teams qualify for the postseason.
Dwight Howard current team
Howard is in his first season in the Big 3 league. He last played in the NBA in the 2021-22 season with the Lakers.
Howard will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2025.
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