December 9, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; NBA former player Julius Erving before the in-season tournament championship at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Sixers Legend Julius Erving Advances to BIG3 Championship

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Eric Jay Santos | Last updated Aug 24, 2025 1:29 PM ET

On Sunday, the Chicago Triplets and Miami 305 are scheduled to face off for the BIG3 championship. Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius Erving is head coach of Chicago’s BIG3 team.

Erving had a prolific playing career between the NBA and ABA, being a one-time NBA champion with the 76ers and a two-time ABA champion with the New York Nets. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer had his jersey number retired by both franchises.

Meet the Chicago Triplets

The Triplets’ roster includes Montrezl Harrell, Nasir Core, Chris Allen, Brandon Moss, and Amir Johnson. Harrell is designated as team captain, while Core is co-captain.

In nine NBA seasons, Harrell played for the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, and Philadelphia 76ers. The former center won the 2020 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award.

Core has a few years of professional experience playing overseas in Albania. The FAMU alum won various Albanian basketball awards, including Finals Most Valuable Player, Guard of the Year, Import Player of the Year, and First-Team All-Albania honors.

Meet the Miami 305

The Michael Cooper-coached Miami team has a roster of Mario Chalmers, Michael Beasley, Reggie Evans, Lance Stephenson, and Sean Williams. Chalmers is listed as team captain, and Beasley and Evans are co-captains.

Chalmers played for the Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies over nine NBA seasons. He won two NBA championships as a member of the Heat.

Over his 11-year NBA career, Beasley played for the Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Lakers. He won a CBA championship in 2016.

Evans has 13 seasons of NBA experience with the Seattle SuperSonics, Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, and Sacramento Kings.

Rivalry Across Decades

This isn’t the first championship meeting between the two head coaches, as Erving and Cooper competed against each other in the 1982 NBA Finals. Erving’s 76ers defeated Cooper’s Los Angeles Lakers in six games.

In 1983, Erving performed a memorable “Rock the Baby” dunk over a ducking Cooper. The dunk is generally regarded as one of the greatest of all time.

Over 40 years later, the two men are now one victory away from adding a BIG3 championship to their list of achievements. Cooper has won the title twice, while Erving will be competing for his first championship in the three-on-three league.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia 76ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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