mcp · balldontlie-api — BALLDONTLIE MCP server for Claude Code: what it does
A remote MCP server for the BALLDONTLIE sports API: your agent gets per-league tools covering basketball, football, hockey, racing and esports.
claude mcp add --transport http balldontlie-api-mcp https://mcp.balldontlie.io/mcpWhat mcp does
The server runs over HTTP, so nothing is installed locally — you point your client at https://mcp.balldontlie.io/mcp. Its tool catalog is built from public OpenAPI specs, which keeps methods, paths and parameters in step with the API. Right now that means 529 tools drawn from 27 specifications: NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, soccer leagues, F1, tennis and esports titles. /health returns the live count and deployed revision.
Every request needs a BALLDONTLIE key in the Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY header. Initialization and tool listing fail without a valid one. Account tools that mint credentials or touch billing stay off unless the deployment sets ENABLE_SENSITIVE_ACCOUNT_TOOLS=true; any other spelling leaves them disabled. When enabled, their output lands in the caller's MCP transcript.
Call tools/list to see input schemas and read-only annotations. Server logs and tracing tags exclude authorization values, request bodies and raw upstream errors.
What it helps with
- Pull NBA player stats inside an agent chat
- Check EPL fixtures without opening the API docs
- Compare league standings mid-conversation
- Fetch NHL rosters from the editor
- Query Dota 2 and Valorant data with one key
Example prompts for the agent
- Show me the NBA standings for this season
- List the teams via
nba_get_teams - Get the EPL schedule for the coming week
How to install mcp
Platform CLI: remote server
claude mcp add --transport http balldontlie-api-mcp https://mcp.balldontlie.io/mcpPlatform CLI: remote server
codex mcp add balldontlie-api-mcp --url https://mcp.balldontlie.io/mcpConfig file
{
"mcpServers": {
"balldontlie-api-mcp": {
"url": "https://mcp.balldontlie.io/mcp"
}
}
}Config file
{
"servers": {
"balldontlie-api-mcp": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://mcp.balldontlie.io/mcp"
}
}
}Platform CLI: remote server
gemini mcp add -t http balldontlie-api-mcp https://mcp.balldontlie.io/mcpStep by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about mcp
How do I install mcp in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add --transport http balldontlie-api-mcp https://mcp.balldontlie.io/mcp. The server then shows up in your MCP list and asks for the BALLDONTLIE key on first use.
What does mcp do?
It gives the agent MCP tools for BALLDONTLIE sports data, generated from the API's public OpenAPI specifications.
Do I need an API key?
Yes. Each call carries Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY, and neither tool listing nor operations work without a valid key.
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