Nasir Core made history during a Sunday, July 6 BIG3 matchup, scoring 29 points in a half as his Detroit Amps took on the Dallas Power.
It is the nine-year-old BIG3 professional basketball league’s most points scored in a half.
The former Florida A&M men’s basketball guard caught fire in the second half while Detroit attempted to mount a comeback on Dallas at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise.
The Amps trailed the Power 25-9 at the end of the first half but stormed back due to Core’s bucket-getting, which included draining five three-pointers. However, the effort fell short, with the Power escaping the Amp with a 51-48 victory in BIG3’s first-to-50 formatted game.
The Week 3 game also saw Core become the first player to score a four-point shot for the 2026 season. He ended the night with 31 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals in the 3-on-3 matchup.
BIG3 star Nasir Core’s connection to FAMU basketball
Core played for the Rattlers from 2016 to 2020, under former head coach Robert McCullum.
The Tampa native held career averages of 4.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists during his time on The Highest of Seven Hills. He’s a two-time FAMU grad, earning a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees.
He played overseas in Albania and Cape Verde after college.
Core has become a 1-on-1 basketball sensation, with 140,000 Instagram followers and regularly competing on the Ball Is Life YouTube channel. In fact, Core will face former National Basketball Association and Kentucky Wildcats basketball star Archie Goodwin on Friday, July 10, in The Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Ball Is Life’s YouTube. Start time is 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
Notably, Core defeated former NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion Gerald Green in a 1-on-1 game this April. He’s also challenged other past NBA players, such as former All-American Duke point guard and 11-year pro veteran Austin Rivers.
Core joined the BIG3 in 2024 and was named the Rookie of the Year and 4th Man of the Year. The 2025 season landed Core an All-Star nod.
Nicknamed “The Blueprint,” Core’s BIG3 profile describes the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder as a “big guard that thrives in isolation ball.”
What is the BIG3?
The BIG3 was co-founded by rapper, actor, and entrepreneur Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson Sr.) and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz. The inaugural season began in the summer of 2017, launching at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in June.
The 3-on-3 league has featured many former NBA stars, including Michael Beasley, Joe Johnson, and Rashard Lewis.
The BIG3 plays half-court basketball under two 10-minute halves, but the half ends abruptly whenever one team reaches 25 points. The winner must reach 50 points first and win by at least two points.
When is FAMU basketball’s Nasir Core’s next BIG3 game?
Core will be in action again on Sunday, July 12, when the Detroit Amps battle the LA Riot in BIG3’s Week 4 games, which will be hosted at the Galen Center in Los Angeles.
The games begin at 4 p.m. Eastern Time, and CBS and BET will stream them.
Gerald Thomas, III, is a multi-time national award-winning reporter for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at GDThomas@Tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Nasir Core, FAMU basketball alum, breaks BIG3 single-half scoring record
Reporting by Gerald Thomas III, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Gerald Thomas III, Tallahassee Democrat | USA TODAY Network
