“I was a nobody until I got on a platform, and it gave me that exposure.” That’s how Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady framed it before announcing his passion project, the Ones Basketball League (OBL). This first-of-its-kind platform was built for under-the-radar ballers craving a spotlight. Since its dawn, in 2022, it’s been a launchpad for raw, hungry talent chasing a taste of stardom. And their shot at the world stage. But like others, this idea didn’t just land in T-Mac’s lap. There’s a backstory to how this vision sparked for him in the first place, even when “Nobody had a clue who Tracy McGrady was.”
Before we jumped into details, here’s some context. Tracy McGrady spent three years hooping at Auburndale High, putting up 23.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4.9 blocks per game. Impressive numbers, but it was his senior season move to North Carolina that flipped the script. That switch earned him a spot at Adidas’ legendary ABCD Camp. It was there that McGrady finally got his moment. “Nobody had a clue who Tracy McGrady was. Sonny Vaccaro gave me that platform, and I played against the best players in the world at that time. I left that camp the No. 1 player in the nation.”
That stage, that moment, defined him. It showed him what a platform could do and how a single opportunity could rewrite a kid’s future. So, years later, McGrady built one for others. But here’s the kicker: it wasn’t just a burst of nostalgia that pushed him to act. It was his sons and their one sudden action that helped his creativity to materialize. As he recalled, “Back in 2022, that’s when I realized my boys are not watching a full NBA game. They’re not watching college basketball.” That quiet shift struck him, which led to an idea. And credits? He explains the journey next.
He added, “When I would kind of come home sometimes, I would look on the TV and there would be YouTube on, it’d be these guys playing pickup basketball.” His sons were glued to it. Not the league, not March Madness, just raw, one-on-one battles. “And these guys start playing one-on-one basketball,” McGrady said, realizing that the next generation was chasing a different kind of game. That’s when the OBL’s true blueprint took shape.
And since then, it has been working marvelously to bring new names under the brightest light, giving underdog hoopers a rare shot at stardom. But do you know what the actual vision of Tracy McGrady for his creative invention is? And where does he plan to take it next?
Tracy McGrady lays out his bold blueprint for the Ones Basketball League’s future
Tracy McGrady isn’t just chasing nostalgia with the Ones Basketball League, but sketching out a bold, disruptive future. The OBL made its debut in 2022 with a three-month tour capped by a championship in Las Vegas. Last season, McGrady’s been grinding behind the scenes. He has been hustling to lock down partners and secure $10-12 million to fund the next three seasons. And that he did.
No small ask, especially when you remember he bankrolled the debut himself, dropping $6 million to cover everything from operations to production. A few years back, McGrady sat down with GQ Sports to map out what this league could become.
Credits: Tracy McGrady’s Official Instagram Account
“Three-on-three is a global basketball sport now, and I want one-on-one to be that,” he said. “And I want OBL to be the brand that sparks that abroad.” But his ambition doesn’t stop there. “There’s only 450 players in the NBA. But there are millions of guys that are out there that could play in my league. There’s millions of them.” McGrady pointed out.
For him, OBL isn’t just a side project—it’s the future of the game, built for the millions who never got their shot but have always had the game. That’s the genius of his vision. He is out there quietly inviting everyone to the floor, beyond boundaries, for one cause—love for the game that everyone has.
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