nba-data

name	nba-data
description	NBA data via ESPN public endpoints — scores, standings, rosters, schedules, game summaries, play-by-play, win probability, injuries, transactions, futures, depth charts, team/player stats, leaders, and news. Zero config, no API keys. Use when: user asks about NBA scores, standings, team rosters, schedules, game stats, box scores, play-by-play, injuries, transactions, betting futures, depth charts, team/player statistics, or NBA news. Don't use when: user asks about WNBA (use wnba-data), college basketball (use cbb-data), or other sports.
license	MIT
metadata	{"author":"machina-sports","version":"0.1.0"}

NBA Data

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:

sports-skills nba get_scoreboard
sports-skills nba get_standings --season=2025
sports-skills nba get_teams

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).
• Never hardcode a season. Always derive it from the system date.

Commands

get_scoreboard

Get live/recent NBA scores.

• date (str, optional): Date in YYYY-MM-DD format. Defaults to today.

Returns events[] with game info, scores, status, and competitors.

get_standings

Get NBA standings by conference.

• season (int, optional): Season year

Returns groups[] with Eastern/Western conferences and team standings including W-L, PCT, GB, streak, home/away/conference records, and PPG.

get_teams

Get all 30 NBA teams. No parameters.

Returns teams[] with id, name, abbreviation, logo, and location.

get_team_roster

Get full roster for a team.

• team_id (str, required): ESPN team ID (e.g., "13" for Lakers)

Returns athletes[] with name, position, jersey number, height, weight, experience.

get_team_schedule

Get schedule for a specific team.

• team_id (str, required): ESPN team ID
• season (int, optional): Season year

Returns events[] with opponent, date, score (if played), and venue.

get_game_summary

Get detailed box score and scoring plays.

• event_id (str, required): ESPN event ID

Returns game_info, competitors, boxscore (stats per player), scoring_plays, and leaders.

get_leaders

Get NBA statistical leaders (points, rebounds, assists, etc.).

• season (int, optional): Season year

Returns categories[] with leader rankings per stat category.

get_news

Get NBA news articles.

• team_id (str, optional): Filter by team

Returns articles[] with headline, description, published date, and link.

get_play_by_play

Get full play-by-play data for a game.

• event_id (str, required): ESPN event ID

Returns play-by-play detail including period, clock, team, play description, and scoring plays.

get_win_probability

Get win probability chart data for a game.

• event_id (str, required): ESPN event ID

Returns timestamped home/away win probability percentages throughout the game.

get_schedule

Get NBA schedule for a specific date or season.

• date (str, optional): Date in YYYY-MM-DD format
• season (int, optional): Season year (used only if no date provided)

Returns events[] for the specified date.

get_injuries

Get current NBA injury reports across all teams. No parameters.

Returns teams[] with per-team injury lists including player name, position, status (Out/Doubtful/Questionable/Day-To-Day), injury type, and detail.

get_transactions

Get recent NBA transactions (trades, signings, waivers).

• limit (int, optional): Max transactions to return. Defaults to 50.

Returns transactions[] with date, team, and description.

get_futures

Get NBA futures/odds markets (Championship winner, MVP, etc.).

• limit (int, optional): Max entries per market. Defaults to 25.
• season_year (int, optional): Season year. Defaults to current.

Returns futures[] with market name and entries (team/player name + odds value).

get_depth_chart

Get depth chart for a specific team.

• team_id (str, required): ESPN team ID

Returns charts[] with positional depth and player depth order.

get_team_stats

Get full team statistical profile for a season.

• team_id (str, required): ESPN team ID
• season_year (int, optional): Season year. Defaults to current.
• season_type (int, optional): 1=preseason, 2=regular (default), 3=postseason.

Returns categories[] with detailed stats including value, rank, and per-game averages.

get_player_stats

Get full player statistical profile for a season.

• player_id (str, required): ESPN athlete ID
• season_year (int, optional): Season year. Defaults to current.
• season_type (int, optional): 1=preseason, 2=regular (default), 3=postseason.

Returns categories[] with detailed stats including value, rank, and per-game averages.

Team IDs (Common)

Team	ID	Team	ID
Atlanta Hawks	1	Memphis Grizzlies	29
Boston Celtics	2	Miami Heat	14
Brooklyn Nets	17	Milwaukee Bucks	15
Charlotte Hornets	30	Minnesota Timberwolves	16
Chicago Bulls	4	New Orleans Pelicans	3
Cleveland Cavaliers	5	New York Knicks	18
Dallas Mavericks	6	Oklahoma City Thunder	25
Denver Nuggets	7	Orlando Magic	19
Detroit Pistons	8	Philadelphia 76ers	20
Golden State Warriors	9	Phoenix Suns	21
Houston Rockets	10	Portland Trail Blazers	22
Indiana Pacers	11	Sacramento Kings	23
LA Clippers	12	San Antonio Spurs	24
Los Angeles Lakers	13	Toronto Raptors	28
Utah Jazz	26	Washington Wizards	27

Examples

User: "What are today's NBA scores?"

sports-skills nba get_scoreboard

User: "Show me the Western Conference standings"

sports-skills nba get_standings --season=2025

Then filter results for Western Conference.

User: "Who's on the Lakers roster?"

sports-skills nba get_team_roster --team_id=13

User: "Show me the full box score for last night's Celtics game"

1. Find the event_id from get_scoreboard --date=YYYY-MM-DD
2. Call get_game_summary --event_id=<id> for full box score

User: "Who's injured on the Lakers?"

sports-skills nba get_injuries

Then filter results for Los Angeles Lakers (team_id=13).

User: "What are the NBA championship odds?"

sports-skills nba get_futures --limit=10

User: "Show me LeBron's stats this season"

sports-skills nba get_player_stats --player_id=1966

User: "How do the Celtics rank in team stats?"

sports-skills nba get_team_stats --team_id=2

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

• sports-skills command not found: Run pip install sports-skills
• Team not found: Use get_teams to list all teams and find the correct ID
• No data for future games: ESPN only returns data for completed or in-progress games
• Offseason: get_scoreboard returns 0 events — expected. Use get_standings or get_news instead.