thumb|275px|Streetballers at the [[Venice, Los Angeles, California#Venice Beach|Venice Beach basketball courts in Los Angeles, California, United States.]]

Streetball (or street basketball) is a variation of basketball, typically played on outdoor courts and featuring significantly less formal structure and enforcement of the game's rules. As such, its format is more conducive to allowing players to publicly showcase their own individual skills. Streetball may also refer to other urban sports played on asphalt. It is particularly popular and important in New York City and Los Angeles, though its popularity has spread across the United States due to the game's adaptability. Streetball has also become connected to urban culture, where it functions as a social space, community activity, and form of expression tied to neighborhood identity. In recent decades, streetball has also appeared in popular media through films, television, digital platforms, and commercial entertainment. Since the mid-2000s, streetball has seen an increase in media exposure through television shows such as ESPN's Street Basketball and City Slam, as well as traveling exhibitions such as the AND1 Mixtape Tour, YPA, and Ball4Real.

It is also popular in other countries, such as the Philippines. Many Filipino streets have their own basketball court. Tournaments are also organized, especially during the summer and holiday season. Divisions are divided into four brackets, Mosquito (ages 7 to 13), Midget (ages 14 to 17), Junior (ages 18 to 25), and Senior division (ages 26 and up). In France, Quai 54 takes place every summer. It is one of the biggest streetball tournaments in the world.

Rules and features

thumb|250px|Children playing streetball in [[Paris in winter with the Eiffel Tower in the background.]]

Streetball rules vary widely from court to court.

Players typically divide into teams by alternating choices. No referees are employed, so almost invariably a "call your own foul" rule is in effect, and a player who believes he has been fouled, simply needs to call out "Foul!", and play will be stopped, with the ball awarded to the fouled player's team (free throws are not usually awarded in street ball), usually after a brief debate over the alleged foul.

Calling fouls is generally disfavored. The portrayals demonstrate how streetball's media image shapes public perceptions of urban communities. Scholars note that these representations of urban communities serve as cultural commentary on race masculinity and urban identity.

Films and TV programs

  • Above the Rim
  • American History X
  • City Slam, a television program broadcast on ESPN
  • Crossover
  • He Got Game
  • Like Mike 2: Streetball
  • Uncle Drew
  • White Men Can't Jump
  • Hustle

Animated series

  • Harlem Beat (Rebound)
  • (Baskup - Tony Parker)
  • Barangay 143

Video games

  • AND 1 Streetball, video game by Ubisoft (2006)
  • FreeStyle Street Basketball, an online PC game by JC Entertainment
  • NBA Ballers, video game by Midway (2004-2007)
  • sequels to NBA Ballers: NBA Ballers: Rebound, NBA Ballers: Phenom, and NBA Ballers: Chosen One
  • NBA Street, video game series by EA Sports (2001-2007)
  • Street Hoops, video game by Activision (2002)
  • Street Slam, video game by Data East (1994)
  • NBA Playgrounds, video game by Saber Interactive (2017)
  • NBA 2K Playgrounds 2, video game by Saber Interactive and published by 2K (2018)

Notable Streetballers

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  • Rafer "Skip to my Lou" Alston
  • Kenny Brunner aka Bad Santa
  • Sylvester "Sy" Blye
  • Emmanuel "Hard Work" Bibb
  • Grayson "The Professor" Boucher
  • Cardell "Ballaholic" Butler
  • Kevin "Bizzness" Butler
  • Philip Champion aka Hot Sauce/Sizzle
  • Lloyd "Swee' Pea" Daniels
  • Jamar "The Pharmacist" Davis
  • Waliyy "Main Event" Dixon
  • Brandon "The Assassin" Durham
  • Taurian "Mr. 720" Fontenette
  • Bobbito García
  • Joe Hammond (basketball)
  • Connie "The Hawk" Hawkins
  • Joey "King Handles" Haywood
  • Deshun "Father Time" Jackson
  • Jumpin Jackie Jackson
  • Troy "Escalade" Jackson
  • Shamel Jones
  • Richard "Pee Wee" Kirkland
  • Raymond Lewis
  • Earl "The Goat" Manigault
  • Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell
  • Malloy Nesmith Sr.
  • Aaron "AO" Owens
  • Darren "Primal Fear" Phillip
  • Kareem "The Best Kept Secret" Reid
  • Jack "Black Jack" Ryan
  • William Sanders (basketball)
  • Adam Sandler, actor and comedian
  • Ed "Booger" Smith
  • John "The Franchise" Strickland
  • Adrian Walton
  • James Pookie Wilson
  • Corey "Homicide" Williams
  • Larry "Bone Collector" Williams
  • James Speedy Williams

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Similar variations of other sports in the US

  • Street football (American football)
  • Street soccer

References

  • Streetball.com Global Basketball Community
  • Streetball.ca Canada based streetball/events website
  • Streetball Europe 1st all European Streetball tournament
  • Australian Streetball 3N3 League 1st 3on3 Streetball League in Australia
  • Variations of basketball The game of H.O.R.S.E
  • https://www.wikihow.com/Play-Streetball