Sunday was a good day for Ice Cube.
As reported by, MassLive, Ice Cube formerly known as O’Shea Jackson, was honored with a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame award, named after him – Ice Cube Impact Award.
This award honors Ice Cube’s remarkable contributions to basketball his passion for the game and his commitment to encouraging dialogues surrounding inclusivity, equal opportunity and racial and social justice while contributing to initiatives focused on education and community development.
“Never in a million years did I ever think that I would do something that would have me displayed in the (Naismith Basketball) Hall of Fame,” Jackson said at a press conference on Monday. “(BIG3 Co-founder Jeff Kwatinetz and I) started (the BIG3 basketball) league as fans – we love the game. We couldn’t get enough hoops after the (NBA) Finals.
“When you start something like this, you never realize how much good reverberates off of having a league – you start to see that you’re changing people’s lives.”
WNBA legend and BIG3 head coach Nancy Lieberman highlighted Jackson’s commitment to inclusivity and equality during Monday’s press conference.
“God made a special human being and that’s what Ice Cube has been to me,” Lieberman said. “Everybody has their own Ice Cube story about how he’s affected their life.
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame will permanently house the Ice Cube Impact Award in its museum and honor subsequent award winners each year through a dedicated exhibit about honorees who use basketball as a platform for bettering their communities.
“It’s been a joy to work with Ice Cube and his entire organization,” President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame John Delova said during Monday’s press conference. “It’s been easy from my standpoint because he’s so passionate, involved and really believes in this award that we have established in his name.