Basketball is a sport in the Grand Theft Auto series, most prominently available as an interactive game in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Description

While many basketball courts can be seen through the series, only Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas allows the player to actually play basketball. The player can score points by shooting the ball into a basketball hoop – the farther the distance, the more points the player gets – but it has no benefits to it, serving as a mere leisure activity. The player can also do tricks like spinning the ball with CJ's finger, or executing slam dunks by moving closer towards the hoop.

Although the player can't play with others and can only play with themselves in GTA San Andreas, they can activate a mini-challenge to attain the most number of scores within an allocated time. The ability to play basketball is unlocked after completing the mission Tagging Up Turf, when basketballs will appear at basketball courts. On the original PS2 version, it is available from the start of the game.

Locations

Grand Theft Auto III

• Little China Park, Chinatown, Portland
• Belleville Park, Staunton Island

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

• Washington Beach
• Vice Point
• Little Havana

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

• Ganton, Los Santos - At Sweet's House
• Behind the Macisla Unisex Barber in Playa Del Seville
• East Los Santos, Los Santos
• In the indoor private gym at Madd Dogg's Crib
• Directly east of The Camel's Toe casino, Las Venturas
• Behind V-Rock Hotel, Las Venturas
• In front of several houses in the suburbs of Las Venturas

Basketball court in Ganton, Los Santos.

Basketball court in Playa del Seville, Los Santos.

Basketball court in East Los Santos.

A basketball court on Starfish Island, Vice City.

Sweet and Big Smoke playing basketball during the opening cutscene of Tagging Up Turf.

Grand Theft Auto IV

• Between Pancho Street and Carson Street in Beechwood City, Broker
• At the intersection of Onondaga Avenue and Cody Street, Firefly Projects, Broker
• On Yorktown Avenue between Morris Street and Harrison Street , Steinway, Dukes
• Behind some houses west of Tinconderoga Avenue just north of the East Borough Bridge, Steinway, Dukes
• There is two on the north side of Morris Street underneath the closed subway station in Steinway, Dukes
• Off Franklin Street in Steinway Park, Steinway, Dukes
• Between Dukes Boulevard and Inchon Avenue, Cerveza Heights, Dukes
• Caterpillar Street, Northern Gardens, Bohan
• A couple between Butterfly Street and Uprock Street in Boulevard, Bohan
• Spin Street, Chase Point, Bohan
• Two opposite the Burger Shot on San Quentin Avenue at the South Bohan Projects, Fortside, Bohan
• Behind some housing projects north of Frankfort Avenue, Northwood, Algonquin
• There's two courts at the corner of Exeter Ave and Wardite Street, Northwood, Algonquin (also known as the Rubin Swinger Basketball Courts)
• Next to the Burger Shot, Golden Pier, Westminster, Algonquin
• Two courts by the Governor Greg R. Smith Houses, Presidents City, Algonquin
• At the Corner of Barsac Avenue and Latchkey Avenue, Tudor, Alderney
• Acter Park, Acter, Alderney
• One just off Hardtack Avenue, next to the Tudor Fire Station, in western Tudor, Alderney

Grand Theft Auto V

• At BJ Smith Recreational Center in Chamberlain Hills, South Los Santos
• At Decker Park in Little Seoul
• Next to the police station in Vespucci Beach

Oversights

• Saving at Madd Dogg's Crib can cause a glitch where the ball used to play basketball stops spawning permanently on this save file.^[1]
• It is highly unrecommended to try to play basketball while using a Jetpack, because the player might get stuck in place.
• If the player starts playing basketball while having a wanted level, the authorities will temporarily stop chasing the player (wanted stars won't disappear) until he quits the mini game.
• The basketball may hit back CJ if thrown too close to the hopper, although it deals no significant damage to the player's health.
• If a vehicle drives onto the court while CJ is playing, he will stop moving and only be able to rotate until it leaves. The basketball bounce animation will still play if the player tries to move.^{[ref?ref?This fact is likely to be disputed and needs a source for confirmation.]}

References