“It’s not a gimmick.”
Tracy McGrady wanted to make that clear as we discussed the launch of his new basketball competition, the Ones Basketball Association.
Some might think this is simply another basketball league that seeks to showcase the hottest talent outside of the NBA.
Those people are only partially correct as McGrady has bigger plans in mind.
The Ones Basketball Association is an elite competition that focuses on one-on-one competition, which separates it from other competitions such as the Big 3 or Overtime Elite.
That individual focus will make players want to improve their overall skills in order to win, not just to make IG highlight reels.
“We’re sticking to the essence of what basketball is,” McGrady told me. “Individual talent and skills.”
Starting this April, the regional competition will travel to seven cities including Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, Brooklyn, the DMV, the Bay Area and Los Angeles. The Finals will then take place in Las Vegas sometime in July. Players must be 18 and older, can’t be on an NBA team and can’t have spent more than two years on an NBA roster.
Winners of the regional competitions will take home $10,000 each and qualify for a chance to be crowned “Ruler of the Court” and take home the $250,000 grand prize.
The individual nature of this competition stood out, so I asked McGrady what the thought process was behind this format.
“Instead of watching game highlights on TV, I noticed my sons learned about new talent by watching highlights of individual players on YouTube, and that stuck with me,” said McGrady. “Think about it. In MMA, no one knew who those guys were before they fought one-on-one in the UFC.”
Not only is he correct, but he clearly understands the importance of distribution for his product’s survival and growth.
Just as he noticed his son’s basketball viewing consumption habits, he recognizes that traditional media distribution isn’t the most effective way to engage with this current basketball generation that watches ballers showcase their skills and talents across social media.
He understands that he has to have the best of the best in order to craft this into a successful product, and must have partners who understand how to reach this audience.
That’s why he’s working with partners like Slam Magazine and Playmakers to help identify and enlist talent from across the country.
McGrady also knows that a great product on the court must be complemented by great storytelling in order to connect with audiences outside of the physical competition. That’s why he’s in talks with Showtime, which has been steadily growing their basketball programming.
The Ones Basketball Association also plans to create a women’s division in 2023, and will be working with female players and coaches over the next year to build a similar roster of talented women for next year’s competition.
So with all of the great things they have planned, what’s the one thing McGrady would tell audiences about the competition to draw them in.
“That this is a second chance opportunity for players to live out a dream they didn’t get to before.”
Those are stories that fans will want to learn, and stories that players will want to show and tell, both on and off the court.
Building this competition will take time, but he’s in it for the long haul.
“Our goal this year is to test and preview how we should best spotlight and celebrate the competition, raw athletic talent, and extraordinary skills of these young rising stars,” said McGrady.
By starting small and building with a good team behind him, I have no doubt that Tracy McGrady will turn the Ones Basketball Association into a global brand sooner than later.
To learn more about the Ones Basketball Association, visit www.obahoops.com
