Frequently Asked Questions

IS THIS EVENT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?

No - Unfortunately, due to the recent spikes in COVID-19 positivity rates and hospitalizations in the Omaha area, the games will be held in a private location where the environment can be more controlled. All players, officials, trainers, and operations staff will be tested for coronavirus and temperature- and symptom-checked as well before entering the venue. Spectators will not be present.



WILL IT BE POSSIBLE FOR FANS TO WATCH THE GAMES ONLINE?

Yes, fans will be able to watch the games on the live interactive streaming platform Twitch, enabling them to watch every game for free at this website or at the American 3Baller™ Twitch channel: www.twitch.tv/american3baller



I KNOW WHAT 3-ON-3 BASKETBALL IS, BUT WHAT IS 3x3?

3x3 is a much faster version of 3-on-3, and a lot more fun to watch. It was created in 2007 by FIBA (the International Basketball Federation that governs basketball around the world) in order to make basketball more accessible to more people and to add a new spectator- and mobile-friendly version of the game that would appeal to younger audiences. An additional goal was to get it added to the Olympic Games, which became official in June 2017. FIBA 3x3 will have its Olympic debut at the 2021 Tokyo Games next summer.



WHAT ARE THE KEY GAME RULES I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT?

  • Played on a half court
  • 4 players per team (3 on the court at a time + 1 sub)
  • 12-second shot clock
  • The ball must be cleared beyond the arc after every change of possession
  • Play is continuous after made baskets (The other team takes the ball out of the hoop, and the shot clock begins immediately)
  • The scoring is 1 point for a basket inside the arc and 2 points for a basket from outside the arc
  • The time for a full game is 10 minutes (The clock does stop on dead balls)
  • Or the game ends early as soon as one of the teams scores 21 points.
  • In overtime, the first team to score 2 points wins
  • A tie-up (or “held ball”) results in an automatic turnover
  • No personal fouls; only team fouls
  • After team fouls 7, 8, and 9, the other team shoots 2 free throws
  • After team foul 10 (and thereafter), it’s 2 shots and the ball
  • Each team gets one 30-second timeout
  • No coaches; the players are on their own



IS AMERICAN 3BALLER™ ENDORSED BY FIBA?

Yes, this is a FIBA endorsed event. In fact, the inaugural American 3Baller™ series is the first ever official FIBA 3x3 Player Tour in North America.



WILL THESE GAMES COUNT AS OFFICIAL FIBA 3x3 GAMES?

Yes - Each of the participating athletes are officially recognized FIBA 3x3 players. In every game of American 3Baller™, the players will be earning ranking points for international competition and a potential spot on the USA Olympic team for men’s 3x3.



HOW MANY PLAYERS WILL THERE BE IN AMERICAN 3BALLER™?

In the inaugural series, there will be 16 players. All of them will be based in or near Omaha, Nebraska.



WHO WILL THE PLAYERS BE?

16 of the men’s basketball players in the state of Nebraska (including several that have qualified for the 2020 Red Bull USA Basketball 3x3 Nationals). They were selected by the 3BALL USA, the nation’s most prolific developer of FIBA 3x3 men’s teams.

Here is the Official Player Roster:

  • #11 Trey Bardsley 5’10 / 180 • Nebraska Wesleyan 2016

  • #12 Nick Billingsley 6’5 / 190 • UT San Antonio 2017

  • #44 Steffon Bradford 6’6 / 240 • Nebraska 2001

  • #20 Dachon Burke Jr. 6’4 / 180 • Nebraska (plus Robert Morris) 2020

  • #25 Tre’vion Crawford* 6’3 / 205 • Eastern New Mexico (Columbus CC) 2022

  • #24 Nick Gardner 6’0 / 215 • Hesston College 2006

  • #13 Anton Gill 6’3 / 195 • Nebraska 2018 (plus Louisville)

  • #22 Lyle Hexom 6’8 / 225 • Peru State 2019

  • #21 Malik Hluchoweckyj 6’1 / 175 • Emporia State (and Bowling Green) 2019

  • #31 Trey Lansman** 6’7 / 220 • Nebraska-Kearney 2018

  • #5 Deon Lyle 6’5 / 185 • UT San Antonio 2019

  • #10 James Parrott 6’2 / 180 • Midland 2013 (plus Bellevue)

  • #40 Klaye Rowe 6’5 / 220 • Bellevue 2008 (plus Iowa Central)

  • #16 Richard Shepherd 6’4 / 210 • Bellevue 2013

  • #0 Tre’Shawn Thurman 6’7 / 225 • Nevada (and Omaha) 2019

  • #15 Dylan Travis 6’3 / 185 • Florida Southern 2016 (plus Iowa Central & Midland)

  • #17 Caleal Walker 6’5 / 205 • Colby CC 2020

*Crawford will only play on Saturday

**Lansman will only play on Sunday



HOW MANY TEAMS CAN THERE BE WHEN YOU ONLY HAVE 16 PLAYERS? ARE YOU JUST GOING TO HAVE THE SAME 4 TEAMS PLAY EACH OTHER OVER AND OVER?

A key differentiator is that our lineups will change every 2 games. American 3Baller™ will be a series of 4-team tournaments that will each feature 2 pool games, a 3rd place game, and a Final. There will be two of these “mini”-tournaments on each day of the series, and at the end of each one, it will be clear which team finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.



IF THE TEAM LINEUPS ARE CHANGING EVERY 2 GAMES, HOW DO THE LEAGUE STANDINGS WORK?

Instead of traditional team standings, we will have individual player standings. Each American 3Baller™ will be ranked as an individual based on how his team performs. In each 4-team tournament, individual players will earn standings points based on how their teams finished, as follows:

1st place: 100 points

2nd place: 80 points

3rd place: 70 points

4th place: 60 points

At the conclusion of each 4-team tournament, the standings will be updated to reflect the latest results, and the lineups will be reshuffled for the next tournament.



WILL TEAMS EVER BE REPEATED WITHIN THE SERIES?

No, there will be no repeats. We have calculated that there are hundreds of different possible lineup combinations we can use without repeating any of them. Changing the lineups will keep things interesting for the viewers while also ensuring fair competition that results in the most valuable players rising to the top.



HOW WILL YOU DETERMINE THE CHAMPION OF THE AMERICAN 3BALLER™ SERIES?

The American 3Baller™ Championship Game will take place on Sunday (Day 2), after the
2 mini-tournaments of that day’s competition have been completed.
The two players who are ranked #1 and #2 after completion of the 4-tournament series
will be the captains. Each captain will select 3 players from among their fellow American
3Ballers™ to form the teams that will compete in the Championship Game. The #1
ranked player will have the option to draft either 1st, 4th, and 5th OR 2nd, 3rd, and 6th.
At the end of the Championship Game, the individual player who sits at the top of the
player rankings will automatically be named League MVP.



WILL THERE BE CASH PRIZES?

Yes, the 4-man team that wins the American 3Baller™ Championship Game gets $4,000 ($1,000 per player). Additionally, the top American 3Baller™ (#1 in the player rankings for the entire series) will earn $2,000.



HOW MANY GAMES WILL EACH INDIVIDUAL PLAY DURING A ONE-DAY TOURNAMENT? HOW MANY GAMES OVER THE ENTIRE SERIES?

There will be a total of 8 games on Saturday and 9 games on Sunday, including the
Championship Game. (A 3x3 game generally takes 15-20 minutes to complete.) Each
player will compete in 4 games per day. (Potentially 5 games on Sunday if a player
makes it to the Championship Game.) During the entire weekend, each American 3Baller is scheduled to play in a total of 8
games. (9 games if they play in the Championship Game.)



WHAT IF A PLAYER GETS INJURED DURING POOL PLAY AND HAS TO MISS THE NEXT GAME?

If necessary, teams will be permitted to play with only 3 active players. In this case, the under-manned team will be given an additional 60-second timeout.



IS THIS EVENT A ONE-OFF, OR CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE MORE FROM AMERICAN 3BALLER™?

This is only the beginning. More to come, so please stay tuned.



HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO HAVE A BASKETBALL EVENT IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC?

American 3Baller™ was designed specifically to maximize safety, even as the coronavirus remains a harsh reality around the country. After months of careful planning that evolved considerably over time, and with guidance from infectious disease specialists, health officials, and basketball governing bodies, we are ready to go. Here are the key elements that make it possible for us to bring 3x3 back onto the court:

  • We are placing a strict limit on the number of athletes competing on each day of the event to a total of 16

  • All of the athletes are being tested by Vault Health for every practice and competition, following the same strict standards used by the NCAA for contact sports

  • All event staff will be tested as well

  • All athletes and staff will go through additional contactless screening for temperature and symptoms upon arrival at the venue

  • All of the athletes and staff live in the local area, eliminating travel-related risk