Backyard Basketball ’01 brings the series’ kid athletes to the court alongside a child version of basketball legend Lisa Leslie. Its roster includes 30 familiar characters, with Pablo Sanchez singled out as a standout, and matches unfold across nine distinctive courts. The presentation also leans into playful sports comedy, with power-ups, bloopers, and commentary from Sunny Day and Barry Dejay.
The game supports different ways to build a matchup. Pick-up Game starts quickly, with the computer selecting teams, while Season Play lets players choose a team name, uniform colors, and players before competing through a league campaign. Season play also tracks statistics; custom players can be created and develop their skills over time. Practice mode offers a place to work on basketball skills and get acquainted with the courts before playing.
That structure frames its central appeal as assembling a favorite lineup, enjoying the comic court-side touches, and deciding whether to jump into an immediate match or manage a longer championship run.
