Welcome to NBA Play: A brand new destination for daily interactive basketball games, only in the NBA App. Before this free-to-play activation launches on Dec. 25, here is everything you need to know about these brand new games.
How to Play
Rank players, teams or events in order in the least amount of tries by dragging & dropping the answers into position.
Fans receive 3 tries total to get it correct.
A fan will be notified if any of their answer choices are in the correct spot.
Fans must fill out a leaderboard in order within the allotted time from highest to lowest.
Fans will receive 3 attempts to guess the player behind the three clues. Clues are rolled out one at a time and fans can make a guess after receiving each clue.
Fans are shown two players and must identify a mutual teammate who has played with both players to earn points. Players are grouped into the following categories each with an allotted amount of points: common (10), uncommon (20), rare (30) and epic (40). Guessing a player in the “epic” category produces the best score.
* For all games going back to the 1996-97 season, a player is considered a teammate of another player if they appeared on the active roster with that player. They do not have to play in the game, but if a player is signed by a team, but never appears on the active roster, they will not be counted as a teammate for players on that team.
Fans are shown an NBA player with a list of the teams that the player has played for and must put the teams in order from a player’s rookie team through to their current team or final team if retired. Fans can drag & drop teams into position to make their selection.
* Note: To be considered to have played for a team, a player must appear on the active roster for that team. If a player was traded to or signed by a team, but they never appeared on the active roster, that team will not appear in their player path. This includes all games going back to the 1996-97 season.
Guess the Kicks
“Guess The Kicks” is an interactive game that challenges you to identify NBA players based solely on images of their in-game sneakers.
Higher or Lower
“Higher or Lower” is an interactive game that presents you with a series of questions along with a given number. Your task is to guess whether the correct answer is “higher” or “lower” than the displayed number.
Frequently Asked Questions
GAMES DROP AT 9am/ET EACH DAY:
What is NBA Play?
NBA Play is a centralized destination where fans can play daily games. The games include NBA Trivia, NBA Hoop Connect, NBA Rank, NBA IQ, NBA Full Court Guess and NBA Player Path.
Where can I access NBA Play?
Fans can access NBA Play on NBA.com here and in the NBA App.
Where can I find the games?
Games will live on NBA.com/Play and throughout NBA.com and the NBA App.
On the NBA App
- Sign into the NBA App
- Navigate to the Discover tab
- Select NBA Play
What time do new games go live?
New versions of games launch at 9am ET each morning.
Can I play games multiple times in one sitting?
Anyone can play each game once per day. NBA ID members can sign in to play additional games or previous versions of games. Create your free NBA ID at nba.com/ID.
Can I share my scores?
Yes, fans can share their scores upon completion of a game through the ‘share’ button.
Can I earn a badge for participation?
NBA ID members will earn the “First-Time Player” badge the first time they play a game, and the “Player Weekly Streak” badge can be earned each week by playing 3 times in one week. Make sure you’re signed in with your NBA ID so your progress is counted. You can admire all the badges you’ve earned in your Hall of Fandom, located at id.nba.com/badges. You may need to sign in with your NBA ID to gain access.
I played a game. Why don’t I see the “First-Time Player” badge in my Hall of Fandom?
First, make sure you’re signed in with your NBA ID when playing any games to make sure your badge progress is counted. If you’re sure you’re signed in, wait up to 24 hours for your badge to appear as we update the Hall of Fandom daily with your latest hardware.
What is the Box Score Feature?
The NBA Play Box Score feature aggregates your stats across all NBA Play games to include your career games played, win-loss record, highest career streak and your Player Weekly Streak badge. In order to build your personalized NBA Play box score, you must be an NBA ID member.
How does the new NBA Play Archive work?
NBA ID members will have access to previous versions of daily NBA Play games from the archive. Members will be able to filter the games based on game type or level of difficulty: easy, medium, hard and expert.
If I play a game in the archive, does it count towards my box score?
Yes, games played within the NBA Play archive will count towards your overall box score.
How does the streak work?
NBA ID members can build their streak for any of the 6 daily games. The streak for a specific game will appear upon completion of an individual game. Your overall daily career-high streak will be featured in your box score on the NBA Play hub.
How do I earn the ‘Player Weekly Streak’ badge?
NBA ID members are eligible to earn the ‘Player Weekly Streak’ badge for completing any game within NBA Play on three distinctive days of the week from Monday to Sunday. If a fan maintains their weekly streak week over week, their badge will accumulate.
If I’m having trouble with a game, where can I reach out to?
If you are having issues with NBA Play, please reach out to our support team here.
