Summary
Connects Claude to live NBA data through the BallDontLie API, letting you query player stats, team information, and game results without leaving your conversation. Part of the Pipeworx gateway ecosystem, which means you can either use it standalone or tap into their full catalog of 250+ data sources. The ask_pipeworx tool is noteworthy: instead of calling specific endpoints, you ask questions in plain English and it routes to the right API automatically. Useful when you're building sports analytics, need quick player comparisons, or want to pull historical game data into your workflow without writing integration code.
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NBA MCP — player, team, and game data via the BallDontLie API
Part of Pipeworx — an MCP gateway connecting AI agents to 1683+ live data sources.
Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
search_players | "Find NBA player [name]" / "search NBA roster for [X]" / "is [player] in the NBA" — search NBA players by name on BallDontLie. Returns position, height, weight, college, country, draft info, and current team. NOTE: per-season averages (PPG/RPG/APG) and career stats are NOT in this response — those require BallDontLie's ALL-STAR tier ($9.99/mo at https://www.balldontlie.io/) via the /season_averages endpoint, which is not currently exposed by Pipeworx. Free-tier _apiKey works for this tool. |
get_player | Direct lookup of a single NBA player by BallDontLie ID. ⚠️ TIER-GATED: the /players/{id} endpoint requires the ALL-STAR tier ($9.99/mo) or higher; free-tier _apiKey gets a 403 with "No approval received". search_players covers the same player metadata (name/position/height/weight/team) on the free tier, so prefer that unless you already have a paid BallDontLie key. |
get_teams | Get all 30 NBA teams with full names, abbreviations, conference, and division. Use to find team info or prepare for get_games queries. Requires a free BallDontLie API key. |
get_games | Get NBA games for a season (e.g., 2023, 2024). Returns game date, status, matchup teams, and final or live scores. Requires a free BallDontLie API key. |
Quick Start
Add to your MCP client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.):
{
"mcpServers": {
"nba": {
"url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/nba/mcp"
}
}
}
What this endpoint actually serves
tools/list at https://gateway.pipeworx.io/nba/mcp returns the tools in the table
above plus the shared Pipeworx meta-tools — ask_pipeworx,
discover_tools, search_within, remember/recall and the rest of the
gateway-wide set. So the tool count you see is larger than this table: a
single-pack endpoint currently lists roughly 30 shared tools alongside the
pack's own. The connection's initialize response states its exact scope, and
is the authoritative answer for a given day.
This is deliberate, not multiplexing by accident. The meta-tools are what let a
scoped connection answer a question this pack does not cover — via
ask_pipeworx, which routes across the whole catalog — without you adding a
second MCP server. There is currently no way to mount a pack endpoint without
them; if the extra schemas cost you more context than the routing is worth,
connect to the full gateway once rather than to several pack endpoints.
Or connect to the full Pipeworx gateway to get every pack's tools listed directly, instead of just this one's:
{
"mcpServers": {
"pipeworx": {
"url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/mcp"
}
}
}
Both URLs reach the same gateway and the same 1683+ data sources. The
only difference is which pack's tools are listed directly; ask_pipeworx
reaches all of them from either one.
No MCP client? Call it over HTTP
curl -X POST https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/nba_search_players \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"query":"LeBron James"}'
No account needed for the first calls. Inspect any tool: GET https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/nba_search_players. Find one: POST https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/search_packs with {"query":"..."}.
Standalone (no gateway account)
This package also runs as a local stdio MCP server — no Pipeworx account, no gateway round-trip:
{
"mcpServers": {
"nba": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@pipeworx/mcp-nba"]
}
}
}
Or run it directly to confirm it starts:
npx -y @pipeworx/mcp-nba
It speaks MCP over stdin/stdout and answers initialize/tools/list/tools/call
for only this pack's tools — none of the shared meta-tools the gateway
connection above adds. Same source, same tools, no ask_pipeworx routing.
Using with ask_pipeworx
Instead of calling tools directly, you can ask questions in plain English — this works on the pack endpoint above as well as on the full gateway:
ask_pipeworx({ question: "your question about Nba data" })
The gateway picks the right tool and fills the arguments automatically.
More
License
MIT
Featured
Keeps your Mac awake while Claude Code, Codex or Cursor works. Lets it sleep when they are done.
Try free for 7 days →Block distracting apps from your iPhone permanently without a 3rd party app. Free and open source.
Block now (100% free) →Notes, actions and memory. Without a meeting bot. First month 100% off.
Download for free →belt cli automatically finds the best tools and skills for your agent. image, video, music, tts...
one prompt install →Free an open-source skills that make AI coding agents easier to understand, verify, and control.
Download for free →Connect your Claude agent to live crypto prices and trading routes via 1inch
Get the MCP →Categories
Registryactive
TransportHTTP
UpdatedApr 22, 2026
