In today’s basketball landscape, one-on-one matchups generate the loudest debates, the most viral moments, and the biggest “what-ifs” among fans. Yet, despite the obsession with individual greatness, no major league has ever fully embraced a format built on it. Tracy McGrady wants to change that. With his Ones Basketball League (OBL), he’s crafting a competition where the sport is stripped down to raw, unfiltered skill on display. The question is whether people will watch it.

McGrady envisions a battleground showcasing the game’s fundamentals. No teammates, no help defense, just 1v1 competition. McGrady hopes that OBL will tap into a different energy, celebrating individual dominance uniquely among basketball leagues. While one-on-one competitions have existed in various forms – such as ESPN’s King of the Court – McGrady aims to create a sustainable, global league

Recently, on the Makeshift Project Podcast shared on YouTube, Tracy McGrady broke down the vision behind his project. He pointed out a common challenge – without NBA players, investors and fans might question the credibility of OBL’s competitors.

“When you talk about one-on-one basketball and you don’t include NBA players, so investors or you know consumers will be like well who are these players all right,” McGrady explained. He then drew a comparison to the UFC, highlighting how its fighters often emerge from obscurity yet still capture mainstream attention.

“So you’re a UFC fan, right? Where the hell do these fighters come from? What is their background? What college did they go to? Like we know nothing because they are stars.” McGrady argued that the key to their stardom lies not in their backgrounds but in the platform they are given. “One, because of the platform that they own. But two, they have a unique ability to go out; that’s what we love to see.”

Using this analogy, McGrady stressed that raw talent alone isn’t enough to create stars. Visibility and storytelling matter just as much. “But the platform is what makes these guys a star. So I’m creating that platform to build it up, like you know, the UFC, and do some storytelling with these players because you should know who they are.”

Fans may not have known where UFC champions like Khabib Nurmagomedov or Israel Adesanya came from, but through carefully curated narratives, they became global icons. McGrady believes the OBL can achieve the same, transforming unknown hoopers into must-watch players through exposure, competition, and media presence.

He shared his vision about the storytelling aspect of OBL, which he wishes to build and not capitalize on the backgrounds of the players. Rather, make them the stars of the show through the ability of the platform. With the UFC generating over a billion in annual revenue in 2024, McGrady aims to establish a similarly lucrative model for one-on-one basketball

When asked if the OBL would include press conferences like the UFC, he said, “That builds the energy for the match to come. That’s why we love you, know the UFC. Because those guys trash talk to really build up that momentum, uh, before the fight.” Highlighting the impact of the press conferences as those are the moments that shape the rivalry and create anticipation in the minds of the fans. Also, the press conferences help shape the narrative surrounding the fight.

Now, in an age where social media amplifies individual moments, a one-on-one league could capture the imagination of fans craving unfiltered competition. The question isn’t whether people would watch; it’s how massive OBL can become. Let us see what we can expect and if the OBL can rival the NBA.

OBL: What can we expect? Can it rival the NBA?

Well, T-Mac is not just shooting ideas into thin air. He has already set his plan in motion. With the serious ambition to elevate it into a billion-dollar organization. He aims to mirror the UFC’s model wherein the best of the best competitors battle for bragging rights, where rankings determine match-ups and undisputed champions emerge. 

First, let’s look at what McGrady had to say. “You got Brandon Jennings, you got Lou Will, um, I seen him throw Isaiah Thomas’ name out there, Tariq Evans, listen, Lance Stevenson like we have some guys from the NBA family that will put on an amazing one-on-one basketball show and it can’t be on no other platform but OBL.” With those names on the list, the hype is actually real. Since the call-out by Brandon Jennings. The OBL could be the ground where the bragging rights are claimed and the dust is finally settled. We could also imagine pay-per-view matchups between rising stars and veteran legends.

However, OBL faces steep challenges. Can it secure the long-term financial backing needed to sustain operations? Will basketball purists embrace a one-on-one format as much as traditional five-on-five play? While McGrady’s vision is compelling, its execution will ultimately determine its legacy.

Social media has changed the way we consume sports. Moments go viral, debates rage, and individual highlights often outshine entire games. The OBL taps directly into that culture, offering fans what they crave: pure competition and talent. Whether the NBA acknowledges it or not, McGrady’s vision speaks to the future of basketball. And if he succeeds, the sport may never look the same again