The high-octane sport of SlamBall is making its return. In an interview with TMZ Sports, SlamBall inventor Mason Gordon said he is bringing back the sport in the summer of 2023.
"We've gotten opportunities," Gordon told TMZ Sports. "Pretty much every couple of months, there will be an opportunity to bring SlamBall back in some form. And my partners and I have always looked at it and said, 'We're not gonna come back until the market conditions are, like, really optimal,' and the alternate sports marketplace is just on fire. And there's a reason for that.
"Younger audiences are really out there looking for, like, what sport can I call my own? Because a lot of them aren't watching two-and-a-half-hour, three-hour long broadcasts anymore."
More details will be released in the near future regarding SlamBall's return. The brand is looking for athletes "that really dominate with their physicality."
Gordon originally came up with the idea for SlamBall back in 1999.
What is SlamBall?
SlamBall is a contact sport that most resembles basketball, but with a few important twists. The court consists of four big trampolines and a net on each end. Blocks and collisions are all fair game on certain parts of the floor, and as such there are boards around the court, just like a hockey rink. Also like hockey, unlimited substitutions are allowed for the four players on each team that are playing. Games are 20 minutes, separated by four five-minute quarters
There are three positions: handler, which acts as a point guard, gunner, which acts as the primary scorer, and stopper, which is a defender.
As far as the scoring system goes:
- Two points if the ball is thrown through a hoop without an offensive player touching the hoop.
- Three points for slam dunks
- Three points for shots from beyond the three-point arc
For a much more exhaustive look at the game's rules and regulations, check out the original rulebook.
SlamBall was originally broadcasted on the The National Network, which later became known as the more recognizable Spike TV. It aired for two seasons before the league disbanded following the 2003 season due to a disagreement between Gordon and the network partner. It did briefly return in 2008, but only stuck around for one season.
Now, Gordon believes that SlamBall can thrive because the sport offers shorter, 20-minute games. That's much shorter than sports Americans consumers are used to.
"SlamBall just kind of fits the bill. They're 20-minute games, television half hours," Gordon added. "People always really gravitated to the action, and it's this incredible mash-up between basketball, football, hockey, little bit of gymnastics, little bit of video games. That's just SlamBall, you get a whole lot in one neat, tidy little package."
