Quick answer: To win at Basketball Stars, stop moving before you shoot, jump, and release at the top of the jump (about 0.3 seconds after you take off). Take mid-range twos rather than deep threes, dunk whenever you reach the paint, and use your supershot every 18 seconds. CPU opponents need 28 to 48 seconds to charge theirs.
By Ashish Sharma · Updated October 31, 2026 · How we tested: we read the code of the Basketball Stars build on our game page (menu version 1.0.8g; the main file is still named basketball_legends_2019). That covered the controls, shot scatter, scoring, supershots, CPU skill levels and the tournament. Then we played Training mode in Chrome with keyboard input and logged 130 shots straight from the game’s own scoring code: spot, release height, points and result.
What are the Basketball Stars controls?
Short answer: in 1 Player mode, move with A/D or the arrow keys, jump with W or Up, shoot or steal with X or L, pump-fake or block with S or Down, and fire the supershot with Z or K. Double-tap a direction to dash.
| Action | 1 Player | 2 Players: Player 1 | 2 Players: Player 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move | A / D or Left / Right | A / D | Left / Right |
| Jump | W or Up | W | Up |
| Shoot (with ball) / steal (without) | X or L | B | L |
| Pump fake (with ball) / block (without) | S or Down | S | Down |
| Dash | Double-tap a direction | Double-tap A or D | Double-tap Left or Right |
| Supershot | Z or K | V | K |
The two taps of a dash must land less than 0.46 seconds apart. Dashing only works on the floor, moves you at 1.7 times normal speed, and then needs a 1-second cooldown. You run about 15% slower while holding the ball. On phones and tablets, the game draws on-screen buttons instead. For setting up two people on one laptop, see our 2 player games on one keyboard guide.
How do you play Basketball Stars?
Short answer: pick a mode and a team, then outscore the other side in a 60-second match. A tie at the buzzer starts a 15-second overtime, and that repeats until someone leads.
- Choose 1 Player (Tournament, Random Match or Training), 2 Players, or Quick Match on the main menu.
- Pick 1 vs 1 or 2 vs 2 if the mode offers it, then use the arrows to choose a team. Each team has two players, and the label under each player shows their supershot.
- Score in the opponent’s hoop. A jump shot that takes off behind the three-point mark is worth 3 points, and every other basket, dunks included, is worth 2.
- On defence, stand close to the ball handler and press shoot to steal. Hold block to stop shots.
- Watch the round icon in the top-left corner. When it lights up, your supershot is ready.
- If time runs out while the ball is in the air, the game waits for it to land, so buzzer-beaters count.
Training has no clock and no opponent, so it is the best place to learn your release timing.
Where should you shoot from in Basketball Stars?
Short answer: from mid-range. In our tests, standing jump shots from inside the three-point mark went in 37 times out of 40. Threes from just behind the mark went in half the time, and deep threes went in 1 time in 5.
Every shot gets a random error added. The code builds that error from four things: your distance from the hoop, how high you are when you let go, how fast you are moving, and the player’s accuracy rating. Your human player gets the best rating the game has (0.01, the same as the hardest CPU). Here is what 96 standing jump shots looked like, each released at the top of the jump:
| Spot (distance from the hoop’s baseline) | Shots made | Points | Points per shot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paint, jumping in (becomes a dunk) | 16 of 16 | 2 | 2.0 |
| Mid-range, well inside half court | 20 of 20 | 2 | 2.0 |
| Long two, around half court | 17 of 20 | 2 | 1.7 |
| Just behind the three-point mark | 10 of 20 | 3 | 1.5 |
| Deep three, three-quarters of the court away or more | 4 of 20 | 3 | 0.6 |
The three-point mark sits further out than most people expect. In the code, it is 500 of the court’s 800 units from the baseline you attack, which puts it past half court. What counts is where you take off, not where you release, so jump from behind the mark. Take a three when the clock is about to run out or you trail by 3. Otherwise, a mid-range two scores more per shot.
How do you shoot better in Basketball Stars?
Short answer: stand still, jump, and press shoot at the top of the jump. Running shots and floor shots add a lot of error.
- Stop first. Moving at full speed adds up to 0.1 of extra error, ten times your player’s accuracy rating. In our tests, running jump shots from mid-range went in 3 times out of 10. Standing ones from the same area went in 10 out of 10.
- Jump, then wait about 0.3 seconds. Error from height shrinks as you rise. The jump peaks about 0.3 to 0.4 seconds after you take off. Let go after 0.8 seconds and you are already back on the floor.
- Don’t shoot from the floor. Pressing shoot without jumping gives the full height error. Floor shots from mid-range went in 8 out of 10, compared with 10 out of 10 for jump shots.
- Use the pump fake on weak CPUs. Hold block with the ball to fake a shot. The CPU’s code has a setting for jumping at fakes, and it falls with each level: 0.8 at level 1, 0.5 at level 4, 0.2 at level 8. Fakes work best early in a tournament.
How do you dunk in Basketball Stars?
Short answer: run into the paint with the ball, jump, and press shoot while you are high in the air. The game turns that shot into a dunk. A normal dunk works 90% of the time for you.
The dunk zone is the painted area nearest the hoop. Jump into it with the ball and press shoot near the top of the jump, and the game plays one of three dunk animations. Directly under the glass also counts. A failed dunk makes a brick sound and the ball bounces off the rim. CPU players get worse dunk odds: from 40% at the weakest level up to 90% at the strongest. We dunked 16 times out of 16 in Training.
What do the supershots do in Basketball Stars?
Short answer: each player has one supershot: Mega Dunk, Defence, Alley-Oop or Fast Break. Yours charges in 18 seconds. The supershot icon sits in the top-left corner, and the key is Z or K (V for Player 1 in 2 player mode).
| Supershot | Needs the ball? | What it does (from the code) |
|---|---|---|
| Mega Dunk | Yes | Flies you to the rim from anywhere for a dunk that always goes in (2 points) |
| Defence | No | Puts a steel shield over your own hoop for about 3 seconds, so shots bounce off |
| Alley-Oop | Yes | Throws the ball up, teleports you to it and finishes with a guaranteed dunk (2 points) |
| Fast Break | No | Dashes you across the court and tries to strip the ball from every opponent you pass |
The game’s 17 teams each have two players. On teams 1 to 15, the first player has Mega Dunk and the second has Defence. The last two teams give human players Alley-Oop and Fast Break instead. Only one supershot can run at a time.
Tip: the meter keeps charging during play. Holding a full Mega Dunk wastes about 18 seconds of charge, so fire it as soon as you have the ball. Hold Defence or Fast Break for the moment the CPU attacks.
How do you steal and block in Basketball Stars?
Short answer: press shoot without the ball when you are right next to the dribbler to steal, and hold block (S or Down) without the ball to stand your ground against shots.
- Steal range is tiny. You must be on the floor and within 55 of the court’s 800 units of the ball handler. That is about 7% of the court’s length. Pressing shoot from further away just wastes the animation.
- Block from in front. Holding block makes your player heavier and adds a blocking shape around them. Stand between the shooter and your hoop, not beside them.
- Dash to close space. A double-tap dash, then a steal, beats chasing the dribbler at walking speed.
How hard is the Basketball Stars tournament?
Short answer: the tournament has 16 teams and four rounds (Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final, then the final or the 3rd-place match). The CPU gets one skill level stronger each round. Hard mode starts four levels higher than Normal.
| Round | CPU level on Normal | CPU level on Hard | CPU supershot charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round of 16 | 1 | 5 | 48 s (Normal) / 28 s (Hard) |
| Quarter-final | 2 | 6 | 48 s / 28 s |
| Semi-final | 3 | 7 | 35 s / 28 s |
| Final | 4 | 8 | 35 s / 28 s |
| 3rd-place match | 3 | 7 | 35 s / 28 s |
The CPU’s shooting error falls from 0.14 at level 1 to 0.01 at level 8, which matches yours. Its dunk success rises from 40% to 90%. Quick Match uses a level 2 opponent, and Random Match uses level 3. In 2 vs 2 tournament games, your CPU teammate plays at level 4. Your tournament score adds 1,000 for a win, 100 per point you score (up to 50 points), 30 per point of winning margin and more for later rounds. Hard multiplies the total by 1.5.
Plan for Hard: the level 8 CPU shoots as well as you and charges its supershot every 28 seconds. That gives it about two supershots per 60-second match, against your three. Score early, steal with dashes, and save Defence for its Mega Dunk runs.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a Basketball Stars match?
60 seconds of game time. The clock pauses after each basket and while a supershot plays out. A tie triggers 15 seconds of overtime, and that repeats until someone leads.
How do you shoot a 3 pointer in Basketball Stars?
Take off for a jump shot from behind the three-point mark, which sits just past half court. The game checks where you jumped from, not where you released. In our tests, threes from just behind the mark went in 10 times out of 20.
What is the best supershot in Basketball Stars?
Mega Dunk for offence, because it always scores 2 from anywhere once you have the ball. Defence is best for protecting a late lead. Both are on the first 15 teams.
How fast does the supershot charge?
18 seconds for a human player. CPU players need 48 seconds at levels 1 and 2, 35 seconds at levels 3 and 4, and 28 seconds at levels 5 to 8.
Can you play Basketball Stars with 2 players?
Yes, on one keyboard. Player 1 uses W, A, S and D with B and V, and Player 2 uses the arrow keys with L and K. You can go 1 vs 1, play 2 vs 2 with a CPU teammate each, or team up against two CPU players.
Why do my shots keep missing?
You are probably shooting on the run, from the floor, or from deep. Stop, jump, and release at the top of the jump from mid-range. That combination went in 20 times out of 20 in our tests.
Is Basketball Stars the same game as Basketball Legends?
The build we host is Basketball Stars (the title screen says so), but its code file is named basketball_legends_2019. Some sites list it under that name. Basketball Legends on Roblox is a different game.
Does Basketball Stars work on a phone?
Yes. On phones and tablets, the game shows on-screen arrows, a shoot button and a supershot button. The 2 Players mode needs a shared keyboard, so it is best on a laptop.
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- 2 player games on one keyboard (our hub for local multiplayer, with Basketball Stars 2 player setup)
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- Football Champs: how to play and tips
Play now: Basketball Stars on Gipcus, free in your browser with no download.
