Balldontlie
An MCP Server implementation that integrates the Balldontlie API, to provide information about players, teams and games for the NBA, NFL and MLB.
What is Balldontlie?
Balldontlie is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to mcp server implementation that integrates the balldontlie api, to provide information about players, teams and games for the nba, nfl and mlb.
An MCP Server implementation that integrates the Balldontlie API, to provide information about players, teams and games for the NBA, NFL and MLB.
This server falls under the APIs and Search & Data Extraction categories on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- An MCP Server implementation that integrates the Balldontlie
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx balldontlieConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Balldontlie
The Balldontlie MCP server integrates the Balldontlie sports data API with AI clients, providing structured access to player, team, and game data for the NBA, NFL, and MLB. It exposes tools for searching players by name, retrieving team rosters, listing games by date or team, and fetching specific game details — plus a schedule generator prompt for building interactive schedules. Sports fans, fantasy sports enthusiasts, and developers building sports analytics applications can use it to ask natural language questions about their favorite teams and players.
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18+ with npm installed
- A free Balldontlie API key — sign up at balldontlie.io
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop
Sign up for a Balldontlie API key
Visit balldontlie.io and create a free account to obtain your BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY. The free tier provides access to all three sports leagues.
Install via Smithery (recommended)
The easiest installation method is through the Smithery CLI, which handles configuration automatically.
npx -y @smithery/cli install @mikechao/balldontlie-mcp --client claudeOr install via DXT extension
Download the .dxt extension file from the GitHub Releases page and open it directly with Claude Desktop, or drag it to File > Settings > Extensions.
Or configure manually in Claude Desktop
For manual setup, add the server to your Claude Desktop config with your API key as an environment variable.
Restart Claude Desktop and test
Restart Claude Desktop. Ask about today's games or a player to verify the tools are working.
Balldontlie Examples
Client configuration
Manual Claude Desktop configuration for the Balldontlie MCP server with API key.
{
"mcpServers": {
"balldontlie": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@smithery/cli", "run", "@mikechao/balldontlie-mcp"],
"env": {
"BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Examples of sports data queries you can ask Claude with this server connected.
- "Show me today's NBA games"
- "Find all NFL players with the last name Purdy"
- "How many NBA players have the last name Ming?"
- "List all MLB teams and their divisions"
- "Generate an interactive NBA schedule for this week"
- "What were the scores of yesterday's baseball games?"Troubleshooting Balldontlie
API returns 401 Unauthorized errors
Verify that BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY is set correctly in your config. Log into balldontlie.io to confirm your key is active. The free plan key is found in your account dashboard under API Keys.
get_games returns empty results for today
Sports leagues have off-seasons — if no games are scheduled for the queried date, the response will be empty. Try specifying a recent game date or ask for upcoming scheduled games. The API only includes official season and playoff games.
Smithery install command fails with network errors
Try installing with a direct npm command instead: `npm install -g @mikechao/balldontlie-mcp` and configure manually in claude_desktop_config.json with the BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY environment variable.
Frequently Asked Questions about Balldontlie
What is Balldontlie?
Balldontlie is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that mcp server implementation that integrates the balldontlie api, to provide information about players, teams and games for the nba, nfl and mlb. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Balldontlie?
Follow the installation instructions on the Balldontlie GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Balldontlie?
Balldontlie works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Balldontlie free to use?
Yes, Balldontlie is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Quick Config Preview
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