SLAMBALL STARTED in a small warehouse in Los Angeles on a makeshift court cobbled together from spare parts. Mason Gordon wanted to create a fully realized sport that was inspired by the strategies, aesthetics and pacing of video games. A sport where the athletes fly higher and hit harder, performing feats that were once the exclusive domain of the well-crafted pixel. SlamBall would quickly fulfill its promise as a mash-up sport smashed together, as the court was, from parts of basketball, football, hockey and gymnastics.

Inauspicious beginnings can best describe the earliest days of SlamBall

Mike Tollin, a visionary producer who has brought to the screen projects like Smallville, ARLI$$, Coach Carter, Wild Hogs and Radio, recognized the promise of SlamBall's underlying ideas. Tollin and Gordon worked together side-by-side to develop the game.

THE BEGINNING

Five players walked onto the first half court to train with Mason and start to develop the game. SlamBall attracted dexterous, aggressive athletes from multiple sports backgrounds and the development of the game on the court began in earnest.

James Willis, Michael Goldman, Sean Jackson, David Redmond and Jeff Sherridan worked on the court with Gordon for long hours as the game found it’s basic structure.

Shortly afterwards, the first full court was constructed and started pulling in additional players, which included Stan "Shakes" Fletcher, Rob Wilson and Dion Mays, who collectively raised the bar for SlamBall's creativity and physicality. The first two teams, the Mob and the Rumble played a series of games on a full court in East Los Angeles in front of a frenzied crowd. SlamBall immediately won a cable TV contract.

From the beginning, Stan Fletcher shook up the competition

Athletes came from different sports backgrounds to mash their skills up into SlamBall

Creator Mason Gordon helped set the early example on the court

THE FIRST SEASON

SlamBall's debut on Spike TV was covered by ESPN’s Sportscenter, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Time Magazine and many more premium news outlets. SlamBall’s high-flying, hard-hitting roots were refined and developed by cerebral coaches into real offensive concepts and defensive philosophies.

The Mob and Rumble were joined by the Diablos, Steal, Bouncers and Slashers. The first overall draft pick was Rob Wilson, a 6’9” Stopper out of Toronto, Canada and a holdover from the East LA series. Wilson was a top flight professional basketball player overseas and helped set a professional tone among the motley collection of athletes gathered for the initial season.

The #1 pick. We like to use this picture because it really makes Rob really angry.

The action from the first season was inspired and saw some of the most amazing plays anywhere in sports. The rapidly-developing strategies started to be effective and teams developed personalities around their stars, including the Mob’s smash-mouth football-style and the Rumble’s smug mentality.

LaMonica Garrett became the prototypical football athlete to make the jump to SlamBall

The Ghetto Bird, Chris Young, delivered some of the most impressive highlights

Dion Mays redefined the Stopper position with physicality, grit and superior timing

Gunner David Jackson steps into one of the biggest hits from the first season

All-American Football safety Ray Ross explored new heights above the rim

Stan Fletcher continued to flummox defenses with an ever-increasing array of moves

Top performers in the first season made the All-SlamBall team

Whether it was Inches high-wire act, Fletcher's creative explosion, Dion Mays' swagger or David Jackson's guts and grit in willing his team to the championship game, the first season of SlamBall announced loudly that this new game was on the map.

The Rumble captured the first SlamBall championship and Coach Carter hoisted the trophy.

THE SECOND SEASON

SlamBall’s second season brought the defense into the fore as a new wave of defensive dreadnaughts took the league by storm. These premiere Stoppers, including Adam Hooker, George Byrd, Rodney Bond and Kevin Cassidy were a revolution at the backline, posting mind-blowing stats including Adam Hooker’s record 36 stops in a single game. This defensive development spurred the offense into more and more complex patterns that were necessary to outmaneuver the Stopper.

Familiar faces at the rim met a host of new defensive stars to meet them on equal terms

Second-year players like the Bouncers' Dion Bailey flourished in the air

All-around players like Noah Ballou widened the desired skill sets at each position

Players had to get higher and more creative to finish against a new-breed of defenders

University of Kansas product, Jelani Janisse, won the second season MVP award

The Riders, an expansion team featuring championship-team castoff James “Champ” Willis, Big George Byrd and former backup Calvin Patterson at Handler, got hot down the stretch and captured the second championship titile.

NEW SEASON

The new SlamBall season promises to be the best yet. Six teams are loaded-for-bear with talent and hungry to lay claim to the league championship. With SlamBall gaining real traction as a sport and poised for US and international expansion; teams, players and coaches will all look to make a statement this season. Expect this SlamBall title to be the most fiercely contested in the history of the sport.

Corey Beezhold has waited patiently for his chance to show the world his SlamBall skills

Amazing rookies look to make an impression, including the Hombres’ Myree Bowden

Stan Fletcher looks to continue developing his ludicrously creative repertoire on offense