One of the wildest alternative sports of the 2000s is making a comeback.
On the 20th anniversary of its television debut, SlamBall founder Mason Gordon announced to TMZ Sports that the league will return in Summer 2023.
The American version of the extremely physical, trampoline-infused basketball league played its last season in 2008. Since then, it has popped up in various minor forms around the world — including in China, where it gained a sizable following.
Gordon is partnering with producer Mike Tollin — who most recently executive produced ESPN’s “The Last Dance” and “The Captain” — on the project.
“My partners and I have always looked at it and said, ‘we’re not gonna come back until the market conditions are really optimal,’ and the alternative sports marketplace is just on fire,” says Gordon. “Younger audiences are really out there looking for a sport they can call their own.”
After the over decade-long hiatus, SlamBall — with its short games and heavy action — could be a hit in an age of social media where younger sports viewers aren’t always watching full-length games.
“SlamBall just kind of fits the bill,” Gordon says. “They’re 20-minute games, television half hours. People have always really gravitated to the action.”
