If Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady is talking basketball, you should pay attention.
When he announced he was launching his Ones Basketball League, many thought it was just another celebrity driven league.
How wrong those skeptics were.
When I spoke with McGrady leading up to OBL’s launch, he told me it wasn’t about celebrity at all.
“It’s not a gimmick,” McGrady told me. “We’re sticking to the essence of what basketball is- individual talent and skills.”
I got to see the tournament in person when the OBL arrived in Brooklyn over Memorial Day weekend, and it was definitely refreshing to see how serious the competitors took it.
OBL features fast-paced action, with early-round games played to seven.
In the beginning, players showcased their dribbling skills and Steph Curry-like range.
But as the games progressed, legs started to wobble and stamina became a factor.
And that’s when it got even better.
McGrady has identified the need for individual talents and skill sets to return to a game that is relying more on shooting range than driving to the basket.
It’s not about going full And1 Hot Sauce or trying to draw the “Ooos” and “Ahhs” from the crowd.
The Ones Basketball League focuses on who can fight through differences in height, physicality, exhaustion and a grueling weekend of games to be king of a region.
The games are not just for bragging rights.
The winner of each region gets $10,000 and a spot in the finals in Vegas. There one winner will be crowned “Ruler of the Court” and take home the $250,000 grand prize.
The games in Brooklyn got more intense as the rounds progressed, and the early favorites gave way to lesser known names who battled their way to Sunday’s finals.
And despite deciding not to promote the games or sell tickets, the crowd on hand was vested in the action.
“New York came to play this weekend for sure,” said McGrady. “We had our biggest and loudest crowd so far in Brooklyn, and the level of play continues to be high as we get closer to the OBL Finals in Las Vegas.”
The crowd was amped by the intense final round of competition, and the atmosphere was supported by the sounds of Biggie and Jay-Z.
In the end, Queens’ own Isaiah Brown defeated Zach Radz of Troy, NY to claim the $10,000.
Brown, nicknamed “Leaky Roof” because you need buckets to fix it, gave fans and McGrady the type of performance they were all hoping for.
“My whole family came out to see me play, I can’t describe the feeling,” said Brown. “One on one basketball, for us, this is our style of basketball. I didn’t have a specific strategy going in, but the shots were there so I took them and fortunately hit them.”
This past weekend, the OBL visited the DMV area, and the action was just as intense.
Kevi Kuteyi of Lanham, MD was the underdog in Sunday’s final round of games. But he won his play-in game, beat the no. 1 seed in the quarterfinals, and won his semi-final game before advancing to the Finals.
There he erased a 4-1 deficit to win 9-5.
Now Kuteyi will take his DMV title and $10,000 purse to Vegas in pursuit of the crown and the quarter-million prize.
Kuteyi and the weekend in the DMV gave McGrady exactly what he was looking for.
A great event, a great venue and a player who fought through every obstacle to win when he wasn’t supposed to.
“This world-class facility and superior level of play made the OBL DMV Regional one of our best events to date,” said McGrady. “It was great to see the guys hit so many big shots and feel the crowd’s energy and support.”
The OBL isn’t about the big venues.
In New York they didn’t rent out Barclays or Madison Square Garden.
Instead, McGrady wanted to be in the heart of the community, so he selected a community center off of Eastern Parkway.
That type of decision contributes to the uniqueness and appeal of the Ones Basketball League and strengthens its focus on the individual player instead of the bright lights on a special venue or celebrity players.
After regional games in Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, New York and the DMV, the league heads to LA June 18th-19th before the Finals in Las Vegas.
So far, McGrady and his team have successfully laid the groundwork for not only an entertaining final in Vegas but also an even bigger 2023 season.
