Gage Smith sweeps SlamBall MVP and defensive player honors

Gage Smith did not just headline SlamBall’s award season. He defined it.

The Mob captain from Elizabeth, Colorado, swept Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year, a rare double that fit the league’s cleanest story line: one player controlled the comeback year from both ends of the floor. Smith’s case got even stronger on Aug. 5, when he posted the first triple-double in SlamBall history in a 57-23 win over the Buzzsaw with 10 points, 11 stops and 16 loose-ball recoveries.

The numbers explain why Smith separated himself from the field. He led SlamBall in loose-ball recoveries per game at 9.8 and finished first in total steals with 28. He ranked second in stops per game at 9.1, posted the most games with double-digit stops and double-digit loose-ball recoveries, and logged the most stops in a single game with 14. He also tied for the most loose-ball recoveries in a game with 16. Offensively, Smith added 116 points, third among stoppers, showing that the league’s top defender was also one of its most complete players.

His awards sat on top of a Mob season that barely left room for debate. The team finished 16-0 in the regular season and became SlamBall’s first undefeated champion after winning the title. The Mob led the league in points per game at 61.6, points allowed at 33.3, scoring differential at plus-28.3, field-goal percentage at 58.5, dunks per game at 16.5, offensive Face Off percentage at 81.8, assists per game at 9.5 and stops per game at 10.4. They also scored 70 or more points five times, including an 88-point burst in the finale against the Gryphons.

That domination shaped the rest of the awards slate, too. Ty McGee of the Wrath won Offensive Player of the Year after taking the scoring title at 26.9 points per game, the only player to crack the season’s top tier on offense. Brendan Kirsch was named Coach of the Year after guiding the Mob through perfection, and Cam Hollins earned Fifth Man of the Year. The All-SlamBall First Team included Smith, McGee, Darius Clark and Tony Crosby II, while the Second Team featured KyShawn Jones, Justin Holmes, Cameron Horton and Tyquan Scott.

The bigger significance went beyond one trophy haul. SlamBall launched its sixth season on July 21, 2023, at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas and ran through the Aug. 17 championship, with the league also pointing to the strongest talent pool it had ever assembled. Smith’s sweep gave that claim a face, and his two-way dominance gave the league’s return a player fans could measure it against for years.