She’s coached in the NBA. She’s broken barriers most people didn’t even know existed. And now two-time Basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman is stepping into one of the most important arenas of her life — the fight against prostate cancer.
Partnering with the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), Lieberman is lending her voice, platform, and passion to the “Three Steps, One Goal” campaign, bringing urgent awareness about prostate cancer screenings directly into communities nationwide this summer through Ice Cube’s BIG3 league.
Coast to Coast’s Heather Dawson sat down with Lieberman and Lori Tessel, Chief Philanthropy Officer at the Prostate Cancer Foundation, to talk about why this message is so critical right now — and why men simply cannot afford to wait.
Why It’s Personal for Nancy
For Lieberman, this campaign isn’t just a cause — it’s deeply personal. When ESPN anchor Jay Harris was diagnosed with prostate cancer, it stopped her in her tracks.
“I’ve had a lot of people that I know have prostate cancer, specifically Jay Harris at ESPN — one of the anchors,” she said. “He got it and I had to learn about what prostate cancer is. One in eight men get prostate cancer. One in six are Black. And I needed to know what the next steps were.”
That education turned into action. And now, with the reach of the BIG3 and the credibility of the PCF behind her, Lieberman is taking that message national.
The Numbers Are Urgent
Lori Tessel made the stakes crystal clear: of men who are actively getting tested right now, 20 to 25 percent are being diagnosed with prostate cancer. And alarmingly, PSA screening is still not part of standard primary care guidelines — which means men have to advocate for themselves.
“Men must advocate for themselves,” Tessel said. “Men in their 40s and 50s will be diagnosed with a more aggressive case. They must get tested.”
It’s a simple blood test. But for too many men, it’s a step that never gets taken.
Three Steps, One Goal
The campaign’s message is straightforward by design — because it has to be. Lieberman broke it down simply:
- Go to your doctor. Don’t wait for them to bring it up.
- Get tested. You can’t know your numbers if you never check.
- Know your resources. Visit pcf.org/check-the-box for everything you need.
“You must get tested,” Lieberman said. “We don’t know where your levels are if you don’t get tested. And that’s how you save lives.”
Why Basketball?
Embedding this campaign inside the BIG3’s summer schedule isn’t just a marketing strategy — it’s a targeted approach to reach the exact communities the Prostate Cancer Foundation needs to engage.
“This is the audience we need to reach,” Tessel said. “Partnering with Nancy and Ice Cube and the BIG3 — this is where we want that audience to know they need to get tested. Get tested today.”
For Lieberman, who has spent her entire career breaking down barriers and opening doors, the logic is the same as it’s always been: meet people where they are, and give them the tools to make the right move.
“We’re going to cast a wide net of helping people,” she said.
To learn more, find screening resources, and take the first step, visit pcf.org/check-the-box.