Mike James is ready to relive his NBA glory days in the BIG3 this summer

The BIG3 basketball league will look to tap into the nostalgia factor this summer, giving fans a second opportunity to see some of the their favorite players hit the hardwood yet again.

The nine-city tour will bring together a slew of current and future hall-of-famers, former All-Stars, and players craving that chance at redemption, for a livelier three-on-three tournament. In many ways, it’s a platform that allows a certain generation of players to reclaim that level of camaraderie. For one, thirteen-year veteran Mike James couldn’t be more excited.

Seeing the value in a league like this, James told The Step Back, “It will be a good transition for the newly retired ball players, and for the older guys to get out there again and compete at the highest level they can.”

James, a 2004 NBA champion with the Pistons, will not only compete alongside former teammates Chauncey Billups, Marcus Banks, Ricky Davis, and Rashad McCants, but also have a chance to actually join forces again with two-time teammate Bonzi Wells on “Tri-State.”

“Roger [Mason Jr.] called me. He figured that I would still be training. I really haven’t touched a basketball in a while, but I went out to Vegas and gave [the tryouts] a shot,” James said. “I was fortunate enough that Bonzi Wells was a captain and picked me up for his team.”

James said like Wells, there are many players hungry to prove themselves after an injury or other off the court issue derailed their plans of making the NBA impact they thought they were capable of. Rest assured, however, that James himself left everything out there on the court. Now 41, the veteran ground his way through the D-League ranks from 2011-15 and went on to earn multiple big league call-ups. Just call him the comeback kid. He may not have so much to prove like others, but James is still capable of competing, especially after fighting for a spot with so many younger players (and successfully outplaying them) toward the end of his career.

“What separates you as you get older is your IQ. When I was in the D-League, I knew I was a man amongst boys. Even though these guys might be faster and more athletic, they aren’t smarter than me. I understand where to pick and choose my spots,” he explained. “I know when to pass and when to shoot. The biggest problem with younger guys is their indecisiveness. They find themselves missing it because they should have passed, or turning it over because they should have shot it.”

“I work out against a lot of young guys and they keep my legs fresh. I really don’t think there’s anyone 32 and up that’s better than me. When I play in this old league, I expect to dominate.”

Having attended the Big3’s Las Vegas tryout, James felt he was in good enough shape to simply prove his worth and expects to keep building from there. While some players don’t have what it takes to compete in the NBA anymore, James sees an advantage with this league.

“Guys may have to slow down after acting like they’re spring chickens again. We might see some broken hands or ribs. The good thing is, we’ll have six days in between these games so we’ll have some recovery time! Sunday, we get beat up. Monday is the day we go through all the pain and hurt and can’t get out of bed. Tuesday, we’ll start to feel better. Wednesday, we’ll get our massage. By the time Thursday and Friday come around, we’ll be getting ready for Sunday again,” he explained.

James said he’s lucky to be paired up with guys like Wells and Jermaine O’Neal, because they came in and left the league at a relatively young age. With that in mind, they’ll still have capable legs to stand on, even if they have to compete with younger players.

“We have guys like Xavier Silas, Andre Owens, and Rashad McCants. I’m not hating, but these guys are barely 30 years old! They should be playing five-on-five somewhere, but they want to play with the old guys. Give us a break,” James said, half-jokingly.

Whereas it’s obvious why guys still in their physical prime want to compete, James provided some insight as to why some of the older athletes are still eager to go after all this time.

“The NBA took the veterans out the game. They took the locker room guys out of the league. Now your vets are your five-year guys or your superstars. The voice of your team was never the superstar,” he said. “It was the person who kept the locker room together. It was the guy who could go up to the star and say, ‘you’re shooting too much! Pass the ball!’

“They were the ones who the coaches could look to keep order in the locker room,” James explained while praising the Cavaliers’ late season signing of Dahntay Jones for that very reason. “When you have five-year guys as your vets, you have kids leading kids. As the NBA gets younger, the IQs go down. The problems have risen because there’s no one keeping order.”

While James’ NBA playing days may be behind him, he’s still young at heart, especially considering the Big3 has already allowed him to see out a childhood dream.

“It’s cool to have Dr. J as my coach. I actually had a chance to tell Dr. J my story for the first time. I was recruited to Duquesne University out of Roosevelt Park in Long Island, which is the park where he grew up,” James revealed. “I told him and it felt good to share that moment with him. He knew it was special and it moved him in a way.”

For the Long Island, New York native, opening up the season at the Barclays Center will prove to be a big homecoming. With his birthday near the Big Apple appearance, James said guests might need to bring some “Icy Hot” to his next party. He, however, is still looking forward to this.

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“In the summertime, there’s nothing on television. I know we have baseball and WNBA basketball — the skill and athleticism levels are definitely rising. But this is our competition in the summer. We have a TV deal,” James added. “I’m sure people won’t mind watching a ball player they grew up idolizing go up and down the court. Hopefully these guys can turn those kegs into at least a two-pack.”

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