The story
From 3 (“three”) + X (“cross, by, against”) + 3 + basketball. From being a form of basketball with three players facing three players on the two sides.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
3x3 basketball
Today it means: A coach-less (no in-game coaching) form of basketball, with 2 opposing sides of 3 on-court players at a time on a side, on a court with a single basket, half the size of a regular basketball court, where defenders and attackers switch during play. Full definition →