A baller is a basketball player, especially a good one — the person you want on your side in a park game or a school gym. The word is informal American slang. Young people and sports fans use it. A newspaper writing about a professional team will say player, not baller.

A baller一個 baller is a basketball player是一個籃球球員，especially a good one尤其是打得好的那種——the person you want on your side in a park game or a school gym就是你在公園鬥牛或學校體育館裡會想找來當隊友的那種人。The word is informal American slang這個字是美式非正式俚語。Young people and sports fans use it年輕人和運動迷會用它。A newspaper writing about a professional team一份寫職業球隊的報紙 will say player, not baller會寫 player，不會寫 baller。

Calling someone a baller is praise: this person can really play.

Calling someone a baller稱某人是 baller 是一種讚美 is praise：this person can really play這個人真的很會打球。

People stretch it. Famous basketball players earn a lot of money and live in a big, flashy way, so baller also came to mean someone who spends freely, wears expensive things, or seems to be winning at life. You can even use it like an adjective: “That’s baller.” That second use is even more slangy, and it grew out of the first.

People stretch it人們把它延伸使用。Famous basketball players有名的籃球球員 earn a lot of money and live in a big, flashy way賺很多錢、過著高調奢華的生活，so baller also came to mean所以 baller 也漸漸變成用來指 someone who spends freely, wears expensive things, or seems to be winning at life花錢大方、穿戴昂貴、看起來人生很順遂的人。You can even use it like an adjective你甚至可以把它當形容詞用：'That's baller.'（那太屌了。） That second use is even more slangy這第二種用法更加俚語化，and it grew out of the first而且是從第一種用法衍生出來的。

Older speakers may not use the word at all. It is friendly in the right crowd. Used about yourself, it can sound like showing off. You would not put it in a careful school essay.

Older speakers may not use the word at all年長的人可能根本不用這個字。It is friendly in the right crowd在對的圈子裡它是很友善的。Used about yourself用來形容自己時，it can sound like showing off聽起來會像在炫耀。You would not put it in a careful school essay你不會把它寫進一篇嚴謹的學校作文裡。