Four years after launching “Ones Basketball League,” Magic Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady is returning to re-start the 1-on-1 competition in a new light this summer.
Now backed by a multi-million dollar growth capital investment by Miami-based investment firm Next Gen Sports, “OBL: Battle of the Cities” will take an expanded version of the original OBL, “with elite one-on-one athletes bringing their own vision, culture and prestige tied to the city from where they grew up, played and/or call home,” the organization announced Wednesday.
Each city-based team will have a three-man roster, comprised of players who “best reflect the tradition, values and basketball culture of the city the team represents,” the league said, and they’ll be hand-selected by celebrity owners and general managers.
The competition will take place over multiple weeks in Orlando from May 15 through June 12, with teams competing for “the swagger, pride, and identity of every city represented,” the league said.
“The way we’re building this version of OBL, it’s not just about skill — it’s about toughness, personality and authenticity,” McGrady said in a statement. “Every team and every player is bringing their own story and their own energy to the game. We’re also excited about these legends stepping in to help shape these teams.
“We’ve got some of the most respected voices in basketball, media and entertainment getting involved and people who really understand the culture of the game,” he added. “Together we’re building something that goes way beyond just one-on-one basketball.”
The cities and coaches include:
Team Orlando – Vince Carter, Hall of Famer
Team Washington, DC – Quinn Cook, two-time NBA Champion
Team Miami – Tim Hardaway Sr., five-time NBA All-Star
Team New York – Jadakiss, recording star
Team Chicago – Lorenz Tate, actor, film producer
Team Raleigh – John Wall, five-time NBA All-Star
There will also be teams in Atlanta and Baltimore, but those coaches haven’t been announced yet.
The league plans to hold a three-round tournament in Orlando starting May 15, which will see its first event held in a high school gym that seats roughly 500 to 600 people, Sportico reported. McGrady told Sportico he hasn’t settled on the location of the second and third rounds yet.
The eight teams will vie for a $100,000 prize, according to Sportico.
McGrady told Sportico he expects “a wide range of talent across the competition,” which will hold its first set of tryouts March 30 in New York. However, NBA players with more than two years of experience are prohibited from participating, Sportico reported.
While the league plans to distribute its games on YouTube, talks with a streaming partner are ongoing, Sportico said.
Next Gen Sports “wrote a check in the $5 million to $7 million range” to support the league, according to Sportico.
“We are honored, humbled and couldn’t be more proud to be able to work with Tracy and this world-class roster of owners and GMs to bring the OBL to unforeseen heights,” said Heath Freeman, CEO of NextGen Sports, who will serve as chairman of OBL.
Freeman is the president of Alden Global Capital, an investment firm that owns Tribune Publishing and the Orlando Sentinel.
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com