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Objectives and questions: In the past years “Streetball” has rapidly evolved into FIBA 3x3 Basketball, an Olympic discipline characterized by high physical demands, tight competition schedules and extensive travel. Despite increasing professionalization, epidemiological data on injury burden and its association with sport-specific load remain limited. This study aimed to assess acute and chronic injuries in elite 3x3 basketball and to analyze associations with training volume, playing experience, and performance level.

Material and methods: A retrospective cross-sectional online survey was conducted among athletes participating in the FIBA 3x3 World Tour 2025 in Vienna. The questionnaire assessed demographic characteristics, weekly training volume, cumulative years of 3x3 participation, injury history over the preceding five years, and current chronic musculoskeletal complaints. Acute injuries were defined as sudden-onset traumatic events, whereas overuse injuries were defined as gradually developing complaints without distinct trauma. Statistical analysis was descriptive using absolute and relative frequencies with exploratory group-based comparisons.

Results: A total of 89 athletes (42.8% response rate; mean age 24.9±4.9 years; 51 female, 38 male) participated in the study. Travel-related factors were identified as a main contributor to acute injuries by 40.5% of the athletes. Chronical musculoskeletal complaints were reported by 30 athletes (33,7%). Here chronical knee problems (n=18,16%) and lower back pain(n=17,15%) the most named affected body regions. In addition load-related injury patterns with a longer participation in 3x3 basketball and extended professional experience in basketball were associated with a higher cumulative number of reported injuries. Athletes with chronic complaints showed higher overall injury frequencies. In contrast, higher weekly training volumes and higher prior 5x5 performance levels were associated with fewer reported acute injuries.

Discussion and conclusions: The results indicate a complex relationship between cumulative exposure, training structure and injury burden in elite 3x3 players. Athletes with higher training volumes and performance levels may benefit from superior medical and preventive support and potentially mitigating injury burden. In contrast, longer participation and extended professional experience are associated with a higher cumulative number of injuries during the career, suggesting an exposure-dependent pattern. The data further indicate that many athletes have just recently transitioned to 3x3 from 5x5 basketball and therefore possess limited experience with its condensed tournament formats and extensive international travel demands. This relative inexperience in managing competition schedules and recovery strategies, combined with heterogeneous levels of professionalization and medical support among participating teams, may represent an additional vulnerability for injury risk. These findings emphasize the importance of structured recovery and comprehensive medical care.