Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady is retired from the NBA, but he hasn't strayed far from the game. McGrady has recently served as an NBA analyst, and now he's launching a unique league of his own. The league is a nationwide one-on-one league called the Ones Basketball Association, or OBA for short.
Set to launch this spring, OBA will first hold a qualifying tournament in seven different cities. The top three players from each of those cities (21 players total) will advance to the OBA Finals, which will take place in Las Vegas in July. The grand prize for the winner is $250,000. After the finals, the top players from across the country will be ranked for future competition.
Here are some additional details about the league from the official release:
- The league is invite-only, but interested athletes can submit their highlight footage on the OBA website for consideration.
- The winner of each city will take home a $10,000 cash prize along with an invite to the Finals in Las Vegas which will see 21 players compete for a chance to win the $250K grand prize and be crowned "Ruler of the Court".
- Once the OBA Finals are complete, the Top 50 players in the league will be ranked accordingly.
- The league will then launch their OBA Ones Weekend match-ups. This will be monthly head-to-head battles, similar to a fight night where multiple undercards will be played ending with the main card to close the night, giving players an opportunity to move up in the rankings.
When discussing his hopes for the league, McGrady explained that he wants to bring one-on-one basketball to the mainstream, while providing players with an opportunity to further their careers on the court.
"The influence of one-on-one basketball is often overlooked but it's really the foundation and captures the true essence of the sport. The NBA is the pinnacle of five-on-five, FIBA and The BIG3 did a great job of organizing three-on-three," McGrady said. "What UFC did for fighters is what OBA will do for one-on-one basketball. We want to give players the opportunity to change their lives, showcase their talents, and possibly make it to the next level."
The idea for a one-on-one basketball league is a novel one, and one that could prove to be uniquely entertaining. Keep an eye out for more updates from the OBA as the start of the league's inaugural season draws closer.
