Hoopler

About Hoopler

Hoopler is a daily word game from basketbols.com, a site of NBA tools and quizzes. It takes the Wordle format and fills it with basketball: the hidden word is always a player's official last name, such as JAMES, DONCIC or WEMBANYAMA, with no nicknames. The board fits the length of the day's name, so some days are five letters and others longer.

You type guesses on the on-screen keyboard. Green means a letter is in the right spot, yellow means it is in the name but elsewhere, and grey means it is not there at all. If you are stuck, three buttons each reveal one hint once: the player's league, country or position. You have six tries.

The day's name is picked from the date, so everyone solving on the same day has the same player, and the puzzle turns over at midnight on your own clock. The game keeps your streak and games played in your browser, and once the daily is done an unlimited mode gives more names. The player list runs from veterans like LeBron James and Kevin Durant to newer names like Victor Wembanyama and Cooper Flagg. It is free and carries ads, and suits basketball fans who like Wordle.

How to play Hoopler

1. Open the Hoopler page on basketbols.com and look at the board: its width is the length of the day's surname.
2. Type a guess on the keyboard and press Enter.
3. Read the colours: green is the right letter in the right place, yellow is in the name but elsewhere, grey is not in it.
4. Use the League, Country and Position buttons for a one-time hint each if you need them.
5. Find the name within six tries, then play unlimited mode or come back tomorrow.

Tips

• Count the boxes first: a long board points to names like WEMBANYAMA or ANTETOKOUNMPO.
• Save the Country hint for when the letters are half known; it often settles between two players.
• Open with a common surname pattern full of vowels, such as one ending in -SON or -ER.
• Think beyond the NBA: international players are in the list too.

Questions