Look! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a friggin' basketball player jumping higher than both! Say hello to Slamball 2.0, the hybrid hoops sport that will have you "oohing and ahhing" well into the midnight hour.



In fact, we're gonna say Slamball may be the best late night television ever. That is, if you're loaded, and you just got in from a night out on the town, and you're looking for something cool to do before drooling all over your pillow.



Creator of the sport Mason Gordon says that Slamball 2.0 (1.0 ran for two seasons, 2002-03) has "more incredible athletes, more big hits, bigger air, monster slams, and more creativity." That's a lot of more's, sure, but it may just live up to the hype.



Think of the sport as a live-action videogame, with trampolines, that combines the best elements of basketball, football, hockey and gymnastics. Gordon says he put them all into a blender and hit the button.

Now, the question is, will viewing audiences play along at home and extend the sport beyond one season? Maybe even into the stratosphere: the Olympics one day? (Well, that's how high Gordon is trying to jump).



You can judge for yourself beginning on Aug. 31 on the Versus Network. Championship viewing moves over to CBS on November 2.

Name talent involved includes coaches John Starks, Kenny Anderson, Rocket Ismail, and announcers Tom Tolbert and Amare Stoudemire. And a bunch of guys named "Hops." Because that's what you're going to see, and lots of it. So, ready the launching pad, Slam Ball Man, and let's see how high your game can fly.

For a preview:

Slamball Video 1
Slamball Video 2

Caution: America's Greatest Screamer Gus Johnson is handling play-by-play, so you may want to keep that mute button real close.