nba-data

NBA Data

Before writing queries, consult references/api-reference.md for endpoints, ID conventions, and data shapes.

Setup

Before first use, check if the CLI is available:

which sports-skills || pip install sports-skills

If pip install fails with a Python version error, the package requires Python 3.10+. Find a compatible Python:

python3 --version  # check version
# If < 3.10, try: python3.12 -m pip install sports-skills
# On macOS with Homebrew: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3.12 -m pip install sports-skills

No API keys required.

Quick Start

Prefer the CLI — it avoids Python import path issues:

CRITICAL: Before Any Query

CRITICAL: Before calling any data endpoint, verify:

• Season year is derived from the system prompt's currentDate — never hardcoded.
• If only a team name is provided, call get_teams to resolve the team ID before using team-specific commands.

Choosing the Season

Derive the current year from the system prompt's date (e.g., currentDate: 2026-02-18 → current year is 2026).

• If the user specifies a season, use it as-is.
• If the user says "current", "this season", or doesn't specify: The NBA season runs October–June. If the current month is October–December, the active season year matches the current year. If January–June, the active season started the previous calendar year (use that year as the season).

Commands

See references/api-reference.md for full parameter lists and return shapes.

Using ESPN and NBA Stats Together

The get_nbastats_* commands read stats.nba.com — the analytics layer (advanced ratings, shot coordinates, deep history) that ESPN's endpoints do not carry. The two sources use unrelated id systems:

• Game ids. NBA Stats uses 10-digit ids ("0022400061"); ESPN uses event ids ("401704627"). There is no shared column — join on the game date plus the two team abbreviations.
• Team abbreviations. Six teams are spelled differently: ESPN GS/NO/NY/ SA/UTAH/WSH vs NBA GSW/NOP/NYK/SAS/UTA/WAS. Every get_nbastats_* team filter accepts either spelling, and result rows carry both (team_abbreviation and team_abbreviation_espn).
• Player ids. NBA person ids ("203999") and ESPN athlete ids are unrelated. Resolve names with find_nba_player; ASCII spellings match accented names ("jokic" finds "Nikola Jokić").
• Seasons. Pass the starting year (season=2024 means 2024-25). The NBA form ("2024-25") is also accepted.

stats.nba.com throttles by client and volume: heavy bursts (and many datacenter/cloud IPs) get silently tarpitted rather than refused. The commands fail fast with an explanatory error when that happens — wait before retrying; do not hammer. Responses are cached, and the ESPN-backed and get_live_* commands are unaffected.

Examples

Example 1: Today's scores User says: "What are today's NBA scores?" Actions:

1. Call get_scoreboard() Result: All live and recent NBA games with scores and status

Example 2: Conference standings User says: "Show me the Western Conference standings" Actions:

1. Derive season year from currentDate
2. Call get_standings(season=<derived_year>)
3. Filter results for Western Conference Result: Western Conference standings table with W-L, PCT, GB per team

Example 3: Team roster User says: "Who's on the Lakers roster?" Actions:

1. Call get_team_roster(team_id="13") Result: Full Lakers roster with name, position, jersey number, height, weight

Example 4: Game box score User says: "Show me the full box score for last night's Celtics game" Actions:

1. Call get_scoreboard(date="<yesterday>") to find the event_id
2. Call get_game_summary(event_id=<id>) for full box score Result: Complete box score with per-player stats and scoring plays

Example 5: Injury report User says: "Who's injured on the Lakers?" Actions:

1. Call get_injuries()
2. Filter results for Los Angeles Lakers (team_id=13) Result: Lakers injury list with player name, position, status, and injury type

Example 6: Player statistics User says: "Show me LeBron's stats this season" Actions:

1. Derive season year from currentDate
2. Call get_player_stats(player_id="1966", season_year=<derived_year>) Result: Season stats by category with value, rank, and per-game averages

Commands that DO NOT exist — never call these

• get_odds / get_betting_odds — not available. For prediction market odds, use the polymarket or kalshi skill.
• search_teams — does not exist. Use get_teams instead.
• get_box_score — does not exist. Use get_game_summary instead.
• get_player_ratings — does not exist. Use get_player_stats instead.

If a command is not listed in the Commands table above, it does not exist.

Error Handling

When a command fails, do not surface raw errors to the user. Instead:

1. Catch silently and try alternatives
2. If team name given instead of ID, use get_teams to find the ID first
3. Only report failure with a clean message after exhausting alternatives

Troubleshooting

Error: sports-skills command not found Cause: Package not installed Solution: Run pip install sports-skills

Error: Team not found by ID Cause: Wrong or outdated ESPN team ID used Solution: Call get_teams to get the current list of all 30 NBA teams with their IDs

Error: No data returned for a future game Cause: ESPN only returns data for completed or in-progress games Solution: Use get_schedule to see upcoming game details; get_scoreboard only covers active/recent games

Error: Offseason — scoreboard returns 0 events Cause: No games scheduled during the offseason (July–September) Solution: Use get_standings or get_news instead; use get_schedule to find when the season resumes