Before beginning his NBA career, Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady took part in the one-on-one basketball culture of Florida. This experience led to him establishing the Ones Basketball League in 2022.
In partnership with Next Gen Sports, McGrady is set to relaunch the OBL league with a focus on city pride. McGrady spoke to Newsweek about the upcoming season, taking place in Orlando, FL, from May 15 to June 30.
Note: The discussion has been edited for length, clarity, and grammar.
Battle of the Cities
McGrady expressed that the new ‘Battle of the Cities’ concept will have players representing the Orlando, Washington, DC, Miami, New York, Chicago, Raleigh, Atlanta, and Baltimore communities.
“We partnered up to start ‘Battles of the Cities’. We’re going to start with eight cities… Stephen Curry is not from Oakland or San Francisco, and LeBron James is not from Los Angeles. I wanted to bring a different dynamic to sports, where these players are from this area and are getting backing from a community that knew them from childhood. The goal is to build something sustainable for a long time.”
McGrady discussed the process of selecting cities.
“We wanted to start on the East Coast. Most of the hoopers that identify with this style of one-on-one basketball come from the New York City area, Baltimore area, Philadelphia area, including some guys down south, where I’m from in Florida. We’re going to start there, and then we’re planning to head West for the next edition.”
As the league’s founder, McGrady spoke on his leadership approach.
“As someone who thought of this idea, I don’t want to be the person who thinks I know everything about building a league. I want to listen to my players. They’ve given me great feedback, and I’ve made changes. I think that’s how to be successful in this. We’ve gotta grow this together.”
Noting the prominence of the three-point shot in contemporary basketball, he intends to eliminate the overuse of the corner three spot.
“There’s a lot of threes being shot in basketball today, whether it’s NBA, college, or high school. Taking the data of what I’ve been seeing, I don’t like guys just shooting the ball, grabbing it, going into the corner, and shooting again. I’m going to completely take out corner three-pointers… You’re going to have to clear the ball past the free throw line but from outside the three, and then we’re going to really play.”
McGrady supports adding a one-on-one basketball tournament to the NBA’s All-Star Weekend. He named three players who would excel in the event.
“It all depends on who has the mental fortitude and strength to enter the contest. I can say names, but I don’t know who would enter that type of contest on a big stage. I think Kevin Durant would be the best one-on-one player. Anthony Edwards would thrive in it, as well as Jaylen Brown.”