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Former NBA champions Dwight Howard and Lance Stephenson were ejected from Saturday's BIG3 opener between Miami and Los Angeles after they engaged in a fight that spilled into the media area behind the basket. The altercation began when the players got into each other's faces after Stephenson appeared to put an elbow into Howard's chest. Stephenson raised a fist, Howard pushed his arm away, and the pair exchanged shoves and tangled across the floor and into the media tables situated behind the basket.

Stephenson's Miami squad defeated Howard and Los Angeles moments later with a 50-44 final score. Both left the floor before the game went final.

The game got chippy before the fight. Stephenson and Jordan Crawford engaged in an altercation earlier in the contest. Crawford raised his hand in Stephenson's face and made contact with his nose, prompting Stephenson to throw a punch. Players separated the two before the situation escalated further, and neither were ejected.

This is the first BIG3 season for both Howard and Stephenson. The duo combined to play 31 NBA campaigns before they joined the 3-on-3 league ahead of Saturday's opener.

Howard is an eight-time NBA All-Star and three-time defensive player of the year who led the league at various points throughout his career in rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage. He rose to stardom with the Orlando Magic and played 16 seasons in the league. He earned his lone NBA title as a member of the Lakers in 2020.

Stephenson made a handful of stops throughout his career and on three different occasions signed with the Pacers, including in the 2021-22 season when he finished his NBA career in Indiana. 

The 2025 season is the eighth in BIG3 history and features eight new teams. The 10-week schedule culminates with a championship game, set to feature a new $1 million bonus for the participating teams. Other notable players poised to star in the league this year include Kemba Walker, Wesley Johnson and Montrezl Harrell.