TL;DR : Paying gives slight advantages which will increase probabilities of things like shots, stealing, blocking, speed, etc. but ultimately skill overrides all of this. I have paid nothing, and still whoop players who have spent cash on this game. There's a lot of trash-talking, but show me a competitive game without that. If arcade style hoops is your thing, this game is really fun, and the price is right.

Do you remember NBA Jam. or more recently the NBA Street series? This is an online, 3v3 version of those games. There are no rules, no fouls, but it's so much fun and an enjoyable arcade style basketball game. Just to address a few issues though:

Some games have had lag spikes that are annoying, but most of the time fix themselves within 10 seconds or so. Other times, there are glitches such as the ball being unable to be picked up, passed, shot, in which case you will be waiting for the game clock to expire, and whoever had the highest score before the glitch will win.

Is this game pay-to-win? Somewhat, but not really. There are a lot of little stat boosts you can buy with money, but most of them can be earned by playing the game and earning in-game currency as well. There are "special" characters which start with additional stat boosts, but you can also earn one of these for free by reaching level 50 with any character. Ultimately, do people who cash have a slight advantage? Definitely. But no amount of cash can make you a good player, or let you win all the time. This game still relies heavily on skill, predicting your opponent, and your general ability to play good offense and defense.

TL;DR : Paying gives slight advantages which will increase probabilities of things like shots, stealing, blocking, speed, etc. but ultimately skill overrides all of this. I have paid nothing, and still whoop players who have spent cash on this game. There's a lot of trash-talking, but show me a competitive game without that. If arcade style hoops is your thing, this game is really fun, and the price is right. Do you remember NBA Jam. or more recently the NBA Street series? This is an online, 3v3 version of those games. There are no rules, no fouls, but it's so much fun and an enjoyable arcade style basketball game. Just to address a few issues though: Some games have had lag spikes that are annoying, but most of the time fix themselves within 10 seconds or so. Other times, there are glitches such as the ball being unable to be picked up, passed, shot, in which case you will be waiting for the game clock to expire, and whoever had the highest score before the glitch will win. Is this game pay-to-win? Somewhat, but not really. There are a lot of little stat boosts you can buy with money, but most of them can be earned by playing the game and earning in-game currency as well. There are "special" characters which start with additional stat boosts, but you can also earn one of these for free by reaching level 50 with any character. Ultimately, do people who cash have a slight advantage? Definitely. But no amount of cash can make you a good player, or let you win all the time. This game still relies heavily on skill, predicting your opponent, and your general ability to play good offense and defense.