GETTING STARTED
GET/api/players/search
Search players
Find players by name with fuzzy matching — the endpoint behind autocomplete boxes, type-to-search UIs, and Discord bot commands.
REQUIRES X-API-KEY HEADER · 500 REQ/HR FREE
QUERY PARAMETERS
q
string · required
The search query. Partial names work —
lebron, leb, and james lebron all find LeBron James.teamType
string
Narrow to one era:
curr, class, or allt. E.g. q=kobe&teamType=class.limit
number
Maximum results to return. Max 50, default 50.
MATCHING BEHAVIOR
Search is case-insensitive — ?q=LEBRON and ?q=lebronreturn the same results — and word order doesn't matter. meta.truncated tells you whether more matches exist beyond limit.
RETURNS SUMMARY PLAYER OBJECTS · FETCH /API/PLAYERS/SLUG/:SLUG FOR FULL DETAIL.
curl 'https://api.nba2kapi.com/api/players/search?\ q=lebron' \ -H 'X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY'
RESPONSE200 OK
{
"success": true,
"data": [
{
"_id": "abc123",
"name": "LeBron James",
"slug": "lebron-james",
"team": "Los Angeles Lakers",
"teamType": "curr",
"overall": 97,
"positions": ["SF", "PF"],
"playerImage": "https://…",
"teamImg": "https://…"
}
],
"meta": {
"count": 1,
"total": 1,
"truncated": false,
"timestamp": "2025-01-15T00:00:00.000Z"
}
}