Charlotte homecoming for Big 3's 'Hezi God’ Ryan Carter

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Ryan Carter, a two-sport standout at Harding High and Johnson C. Smith, is making a splash in the Big 3 basketball league founded by actor/rapper Ice Cube.

The BIG3 made its return to Charlotte on Saturday for the first time since its inaugural season in 2017.

So did the homegrown Hezi God.

Founded by actor/rapper Ice Cube, the 3-on-3 basketball league features former NBA players and legends, as well as up-and-coming hoopers looking to make a name for themselves, like Charlotte native Ryan Carter, a two-sport standout at Harding High and Johnson C. Smith. Local fans got to watch another budding star perform, and while known for its big names and recent NBA players, Carter, known virally as “Hezi God” for his jaw-dropping dribble moves and acrobatic finishes, electrified a crowd filled with familiar faces.

“It was actually beyond my wildest dreams,” Carter said. “All the people I grew up with and played basketball with, a lot of people showed up for me. Being here for the BIG3 and everybody being able to see what I’ve been working on, you can see it on TV from afar, but to see it in person makes it different, like ‘dang, he made it from Charlotte.’”

Spectrum Center played host to the star-studded nationally televised event, featuring NBA legends Stephen Jackson, George Gervin, Gary Payton, Charles Oakley, Michael Cooper and Charlotte’s Muggsy Bogues, as well as WNBA legends Lisa Leslie, Dawn Staley and Nancy Leiberman.

“The support has always been good here in Charlotte,” said Gervin, known as the “Iceman” and an NBA Top 75 player. “Charlotte is a sports city, plus this is where (Steph) Curry is from. It brings something special as far as being able to brag about somebody that came up in this area and to see the success that he is having. Charlotte is good. Hopefully, we can come back again in years to come.”

Returning to the Spectrum Center, where Carter last played in 2010 during the CIAA tournament as a Golden Bulls point guard, was a surreal moment. And it was made possible by NBA champion and former Charlotte Bobcat, Stephen Jackson, who took a chance on Carter, who was also an All-CIAA quarterback as a senior.

“Having [Jackson] as a coach is something that I could have never imagined,” Carter said. “I’m from Charlotte, so when he played for the Bobcats, I was around. The one playoff appearance the Bobcats did get, (Jackson) was the reason they did it.

“It was big for him to pick me up. He calls me ‘Nephew’ now. I went from Hezi to Nephew. I’m family with Stack, and I could’ve never imagined that. With him being my coach, I don’t think I would have been as successful on another team.”

Jackson, who celebrated the birthday of his late brother with a 50-34 victory over Gervin’s Ghost Ballers, echoed Carter’s sentiment.

“It’s just a blessing,” Jackson said. “I’m just glad that I had a hand in (bringing Carter on board). “A lot of times these guys don’t get opportunities to play on these levels and platforms against professional players like this. A lot of times people think these guys can’t compete; they play against guys at LA Fitness that aren’t on their level.

“But these guys play all year round, and [Carter] showed up to the BIG3 in better shape than a lot of guys that have been playing basketball their whole life. He’s dedicated, and he plays basketball every day, all day – and it shows. The success he’s having, I’m not surprised. That’s why I wanted him on my team because he’s hungry and he loves the game of basketball. Anytime you put in that work, it’s going to pay off.”

Carter is starting to find his stride in the BIG3. He joined Jackson’s Trilogy roster in July and has posted a 27-point performance, including the game-winning step-back three in his second game, as well as 19 points in Saturday’s win.

From a 103-point, 26-three-pointer game in the American Basketball Association, to holding his own with BIG3 veteran Frank Nitty in a one-on-one battle and now making a consistent mark on the BIG3, Carter is garnering the respect of those within the organization. Even those in opposing locker rooms, which isn’t common, according to Carter.

“Honestly, I’ve heard guys don’t like each other here at the BIG3. Everyone seems to accept and receive me well,” he said. “They laugh with me, and they joke with me. To me, I feel like I’ve finally made it into that room. When you’re a high school athlete, you want to be in the room with the pro guys and move like the pro guys. And they’ve shown me how to move like a pro. Moving like an NBA player is different than moving like a regular basketball player. That’s part of what I appreciate for the guys around the BIG3 that just groomed me.”

That rise to stardom isn’t lost on Carter, who is one of the more intense players on the hardwood. Off the court, he deals with struggles just like regular people – like car troubles he dealt with during the pandemic which he joked with media about.

And despite the gold chains, diamond-bezeled watch and brand-new kicks, his rise to this level of fame isn’t taken for granted.

“I remember when people weren’t checking for me. To get that now, I appreciate it a little bit more than I guess your child prodigy that grows up and everyone knows them,” said Carter. “I’ve always been known throughout Charlotte as being a phenomenal athlete, but I guess for the world to recognize me as that, the least I can do is smile in a picture.”

The Trilogy’s win puts Carter and company in a three-way tie for first place in the BIG3 standings with one week before the playoffs. Jackson said it was the team’s best game of the season, and Carter will need to continue his high level of play if Trilogy is to win the BIG3 title for the third consecutive season.

O2 Arena in London will host the BIG3 final on Aug. 26, and while a title in his first season would be sweet, Carter is taking it day by day and enjoying the ride – and the perks that come with it.

“My favorite moment, I hit a three and turned around and dapped up NLE Choppa,” he said. “Then, after the 27 points against Tri-State, [Ice Cube’s son O’Shea Jackson Jr.] was at the arena, and he was excited to meet me. It’s like, I’ve watched ‘Straight Out of Compton’ a million times, so for you to be excited to meet me it’s like – that’s mutual. The stars, whom we consider stars, recognizing me is the best part. Being recognized by the people that we watch on TV.”

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