The SlamBall Creator Who Turned a Napkin Sketch Into a Global Sport

Episode 1: Amar Shah talks to Mason Gordon, founder of SlamBall, about creating an entirely new sport, getting it on TV, and building a brand that blends basketball, football, and trampolines. This one’s for the dreamers, builders, and disruptors.

⏱️ Show Notes:

(0:00) Cold open: "You can’t just create a sport…"
(0:32) Intro to Mason + the vision behind SlamBall
(1:33) Basketball meets football: The spark that started it all
(3:29) Meeting Mike Tolan: Coffee runs and crazy pitches
(5:43) Getting SlamBall on Spike TV
(6:54) The challenge of scale: From hype to sustainability
(7:56) Innovation in motion: AI helmets, POV cameras, and The Sphere
(9:46) Viral moments + SlamBall's built-in shareability
(10:09) Startup grind: VC challenges, Vegas, and following UFC’s path
(11:19) Rewind the Clock: The power of inner voice + supportive partners
(12:26) Outro: Why SlamBall proves great ideas can outlast time

Slamball: https://slamballleague.com/

Play the Game with Amar Shah is where sports, business, and bold ideas collide.

Hosted by Emmy-winning writer and producer Amar Shah, this podcast dives into the minds of creators, athletes, founders, and innovators who are reshaping the game—on and off the court. Whether it’s building a billion-dollar brand, creating a new sport, or launching the next big startup, these are real conversations with people who aren’t afraid to bet on themselves.

Every episode is pulled straight from Amar’s sports media entrepreneurship class at the University of Florida—featuring real insights, real risk-takers, and a new way to think about what it means to win.

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📚 Want more Play the Game?
Check out the middle-grade book series by Amar Shah—Play The Game: The Hoop Con and Play The Game: Take the Shot are out now from Scholastic.

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• Website: amarshahwrites.com
• Twitter/X: @amarshahism
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/amarshahism
• Instagram: @amarshahism

🎙️ Play the Game with Amar Shah — because you can’t win if you don’t play.