Slamball

The other day I was watching TV and saw something that amazed both me and my little brother. As both of us are basketball freaks, we were witness to ‘Slamball’. The game that took my breath away. As if the excitement in basketball was not enough, this high adrenaline sport should very well capture the attention of sport fans all across the globe.

The most attractive part of any basketball game is the ‘slamdunk’, the most anticipated by basketball fans. And to get a complete sport surrounding slamdunks is just mesmerizing As I watched the game, I was blown away by the speed of the action and the high level basketball that was being played.

For those of you not familiar with the sport, slamball is full-contact basketball, with trampolines. Points are scored by playing the ball through the net, as in basketball, though the point-scoring rules are modified. The main differences from the parent sport is the court; below the padded basketball rim and backboard are four trampolines set into the floor which serve to propel players to great heights for slam dunks. The rules also permit some physical contact between the members of the four-player teams. The time period is also a little different from NBA. Although, it too has four quarters, but are of just five minutes. But a sport can never be judged from its rules. And definitely not slamball. The sport is a mixture of skill and unparalleled excitement. The tempo of the game is always over the danger mark and the sight of players leaping over the net is of absolute awe. The action in slamball is taking place six feet off the ground. As players jump on the trampoline, the tactics are made on mid-air tackles and scoring. There is no middle ground.

But what an amazing concept to spread basketball as a sport. The game has all the ingredients to attract major crowds anywhere in the globe. I suggest, they do a tour of India very soon. Should be an inspiring event. Although, basketball or the NBA doesn’t need sports like slamball to market the game, but it does another very attractive incentive. I am not aware if the NBA and slamball go hand in hand, but I am sure they would work wonders together. Imagine former greats of the game scaling new heights on the trampoline and dunking home to glory. A sight never to forget.