BIG3 Major Conflict Forces Game Cancellation! Beasley Ejects with Two Technicals, Stephenson Throws Punch and Gets Ejected Too

On June 21, Beijing time, the first day of the BIG3 season witnessed a serious fight. The game between Miami 305 and Los Angeles Riot became completely chaotic because of player clashes, and the officials had no choice but to call off the contest, making it one of the worst on-court disturbances the league has seen in years.

Miami 305's two stars are Michael Beasley and Lance Stephenson. Beasley, who won back-to-back BIG3 regular-season MVPs in 2024 and 2025, openly boasted on a podcast before the game, saying he would shut down his matchup against Dwight Howard. Howard, as the captain of Los Angeles Riot, was joined by Jordan Crawford. The two teams were scheduled to face off on opening day, and tensions had been escalating since warm-ups.

The conflict erupted in two waves. First, Michael Beasley and Dwight Howard were locked in an intense one-on-one battle, trading trash talk and escalating physical play. Beasley received two consecutive technical fouls for repeated provocations and was ejected by the referee. Just minutes later, an even larger physical altercation broke out: while guarding Stephenson, Crawford made a highly provocative gesture by poking his finger at Stephenson's face. Enraged, Stephenson pulled Crawford to the ground and then threw a punch at him. It took security and officials a considerable amount of time to separate the two, and Stephenson was also ejected from the game.

After Beasley and Stephenson were both ejected, Miami 305 no longer had enough eligible players to meet the league's minimum playing standard, making it impossible to continue. The referee ended the game immediately per league rules, and Miami 305 was ruled to have forfeited.

This incident also exposed a long-standing management problem in the BIG3 league: most participating players are former NBA stars known for their strong personalities and fiery playing styles, lacking strict behavioral discipline. On-court arguments easily escalate into physical fights. After the game, many fans and media commentators suggested that the league needs to improve its disciplinary system, imposing stricter suspensions and fines for punching, malicious taunting, and similar conduct to prevent large-scale brawls from happening again.