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Dwyane Wade has proposed the idea of a formal one-on-one basketball league, citing its potential as both a cultural and financial opportunity for players and fans alike. The Miami Heat legend and Hall of Famer shared his vision following Michael Beasley’s recent 1-on-1 victory over Lance Stephenson in The Next Chapter (TNC), a $100,000 winner-take-all event created by D’Vontay Friga.
Wade discussed the idea during the latest episode of The Why With Dwyane Wade, in a conversation with DeMar DeRozan, Bob, and Chris Johnson. The 13-time NBA All-Star highlighted the growing influence of sports betting and its compatibility with one-on-one competition.
“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.”
Wade also framed a potential 1-on-1 league as a platform for players who, for various reasons, haven’t found lasting roles in the NBA.
“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 possibility of him and other guys like him to really gain their own space, their own league in a sense.”
Dwayne Wade sees 1-on-1 league as ideal fit for betting era amid Michael Beasley-Carmelo Anthony buzz
Wade further emphasized the alignment with the current betting landscape.
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“I’m looking at where we are in the world too. We’re DraftKings, we’re FanDuel, we’re in a betting culture,” he said. “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.”
A 1-on-1 league would likely resemble the structure of Ice Cube’s Big3, which features former NBA players in a competitive setting. Both Beasley and Stephenson have played in the Big3, further suggesting a viable foundation for such a format.
Beasley, who defeated Stephenson 31-21 in the TNC event, has continued to draw attention for his comments. During a livestream with Adin Ross and Neon, the former No. 2 overall pick claimed he’d “bust Carmelo Anthony’s a**” in a one-on-one game.
Anthony, a Class of 2025 Hall of Fame inductee, responded on 7 PM in Brooklyn, addressing Beasley’s challenge.
“Let me clear this up, I'm not losing a one-on-one game, bro, I'm not. I've never lost a one-on-one game. I'm not saying I'm going out there playing, but I'm saying I did this. I got ridiculed for doing this s-t at the highest level, for being a one-on-one —–. So I'm not going out there playing one-on-one, I want to sit there and support a —– like Beas for the culture.”
As conversation around one-on-one matchups intensifies, Wade’s proposal adds structure to what has become a growing trend in post-NBA competition.
