Tracy McGrady is redefining the professional game of basketball. Usually, in pro leagues, basketball is a team sport. It takes a team effort to win; that won’t be the case in the Ones Association. The Ones Basketball Association, started by former NBA all-star Tracy McGrady, will be a professional basketball league that only highlights a player’s talent.
T-Mac said he got the idea of starting the OBA because, according to him, the younger generation has a hard time watching games for an extended period.
“I have two sons of my own, and then I run an AAU program. My boys don’t watch NBA games, my boys don’t watch college basketball, and even the guys in my program can’t sit down and watch two and a half, three hours of basketball,” McGrady, the father of two, revealed.
“But what they can do is short form like Youtube and highlights and stuff like that, they gravitate towards, so why not create something that’s short, entertaining, and what they can resonate with, because they play one-on-one basketball all the time,” he added.
The OBA will be an invite-only league, and it’ll begin on April 30 in Houston, traveling to seven cities across the country. The league will make stops in Atlanta, Chicago, and New York, before ending in the Bay Area in June.
There will be 32 participants in each city, with the top three players earning an invite to the Finals in Las Vegas. While the winner of each will win $10,000, the final 21 players will compete head-to-head in the championship round for a chance to win the $250,000 grand prize and be crowned “King of the Court.”
The OBA will then launch monthly head-to-head battles, similar to a boxing match or UFC fight, where there will be several undercards playing on a given night.
McGrady said he’s looking to find “the baddest basketball player, one-on-one basketball player, the ruler of the court.”
“It’s like UFC fighting,” he explained. “When those guys are going up against each other, we know who’s the baddest man because it’s just one-on-one.”
T-Mac interviewed with BroBible to discuss his new one vs. one basketball league in full detail. He added that this league is a league that gives athletes a second chance.
“That’s what I’m building; giving guys an opportunity who may have made a left turn along their journey toward their professional career…I’m identifying those guys and have a great story to tell with these participants,” McGrady added.
Check out T-Mac’s interview below and get ready for a new way to watch professional basketball.
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