After a 20-year-long hiatus, the SlamBall tournament is again back this year. The tournament has struck a media rights deal with ESPN and can be streamed Live from the ESPN app and ESPN+. Kevin Durant’s former Brooklyn Nets teammate, Blake Griffin, was one of the instrumental figures in SlamBall’s revival, helping raise $11,000,000 in investments. Other notable investors for SlamBall’s revival include Michael Rubin, Gary Vaynerchuk, and David Blitzer. For those aware, SlamBall is a contact sport created as a football, basketball, and trampoline mashup. The sport was extremely popular till its second season, when it was shut down due to poor ratings. Joe Pompliano further elaborated on the business aspects of SlamBall’s revival on his podcast, The Joe Pomp Show.
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Blake Griffin’s involvement in SlamBall is undoubtedly evident, given his love for the sport and incredible dunking skills. Griffin was the NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion in 2011 and has put in some brilliant dunks against opponent teams. Griffin is the only active NBA player to be involved with the reboot of SlamBall.
Blake Griffin becomes part of $11,000,000 investment in reviving SlamBall after a 20-year-long hiatus
SlamBall is all set to return after a long hiatus as a six-week series with seventh-week playoffs in July. The sport will be played in Las Vegas, with each game lasting roughly 20 minutes. Each night will feature a set of three games being played by the participating franchises.
SlamBall’s founders liken it to the NBA’s equivalent of UFC to boxing. With the help of ‘The Last Dance’ producer Mike Tollin, Slam Ball’s CEO Mason Gordon successfully attracted a full roster of investors in the past nine months. Among these investors are notable names like Boston Celtics player Blake Griffin, Blackstone’s founder David Blitzer, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, VaynerMedia founder Gary Vaynerchuk, and Philadelphia 76ers’ co-owner David Adelman. This investment round brought in $11,000,000, crucial for SlamBall’s upcoming revival.
In 1999, CEO Mason Gordon conceived the idea of SlamBall while working for Tollin/Robbins Productions. The sport made its TV debut in 2002 with six teams competing in the inaugural season. Studio co-host and color commentator Reggie Theus, a former NBA All-Star, contributed to the show. After the second season experienced a drop in ratings, the league ceased operations. Despite a few subsequent reboots, the new season of SlamBall aims to create hype and regain popularity after previous setbacks.
Griffin’s involvement with SlamBall will be an iconic moment reflecting his legacy
Blake Griffin’s investment in the reboot of SlamBall 2023 is a smart and calculated move. Additionally, he is one of the league’s most prolific dunkers, having won the Slam Dunk Championship in 2011.
Basically, by becoming an icon for the league, Griffin preserves the legacy of his basketball career. SlamBall prioritizes dunking to score points. Therefore, having a great dunker as the face of the league could guarantee its success reaches new heights.
