Dwyane Wade has proposed creating a formal one-on-one basketball league, citing its cultural impact and potential for revenue, especially through sports betting.
Dwyane Wade wants to turn one-on-one basketball into more than just a viral highlight — he wants to make it a league.
Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade
Position: SG
Age: 43
Height: 193 cm
Weight: 100 kg
Birth place: Chicago, United States of America
The Miami Heat legend and Hall of Famer pitched the idea during the latest episode of The Why With Dwyane Wade, following Michael Beasley’s recent win over Lance Stephenson in The Next Chapter (TNC) — a $100,000, winner-take-all 1-on-1 event founded by D’Vontay Friga.
“This is a bigger revenue opportunity for guys that maybe can’t make it in the NBA because of whatever reason,” Wade said. “There’s a reason Michael Beasley isn’t in the NBA, whatever the reason, whether it’s right or wrong.”
“But it’s a place for Michael Beasley to now play and [for the] possibility of him and other guys like him to really gain their own space, their own league in a sense.”
Beasley defeated Stephenson 31-21, and his win sparked even more debate after he told streamer Adin Ross he’d “bust Carmelo Anthony’s a**” in a one-on-one game.
Credit Denis Charlet/AFP - Scanpix
Wade believes a one-on-one league could thrive not only as a basketball platform but also in the betting space.
“Betting is a big part of the culture,” Wade said. “So I look at one-on-one as a big opportunity for the betting culture and the betting world to tap into that and want to get into that. Where the pots now are bigger than $100,000, so now guys go out there and play one-on-one and it changes your life with the opportunity now for the best.”
“I’m looking at where we are in the world too,” Wade added. “We’re DraftKings, we’re FanDuel, we’re in a betting culture. Nothing better than betting on a one-on-one. I ain’t gotta worry about nobody else, I just gotta worry about picking one person.”
The format could mirror Ice Cube’s Big3, which has become a popular destination for former NBA players looking to stay competitive.
Both Beasley and Stephenson have suited up in the Big3 before, and a similar 1-on-1 platform could give even more players a spotlight.
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