Back in March, Tracy McGrady told me he was going to build something special with his Ones Basketball League.
It wasn’t going to be just another former player-centered or celebrity-driven league.
“We’re sticking to the essence of what basketball is,” McGrady told me in our March interview. “Individual talent and skills.”
But in a generation that is more enamored with Steph Curry range and step-back threes, starting this type of league sounded like a daunting task.
The concept made sense, and the goal of focusing on true skills and the community made it appealing. But could it carve out a place for itself without hype outside of McGrady’s Hall of Fame name?
After attending the League’s stop in Brooklyn over Memorial Day weekend, the answer was yes.
Not only had the OBL partnered with brands like Showtime Basketball and Slam Magazine, it had also found a way to keep fans and players engaged.
As the games progressed, the intensity picked up. Players began to tire after the games piled up, and the fans in attendance turned up the volume in their cheers of support.
And the players responded as the rounds continued.
That’s when I knew the league was something different and that McGrady had found something special.
Now, after six regional events in Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, the DMV and LA, the Ones Basketball League is set for its championship event in Las Vegas.
Earlier this week, the OBL announced that The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada, will host the first-ever OBL Finals on Friday, July 15th and Saturday, July 16th.
The 22 competitors at the Finals consist of the six regional champions, the top two runner-ups from each region and four wildcard selections.
Each regional champion won $10,000.
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