Jai alai is back! You're in time to watch the championship at Casino Miami

Can you throw a ball hard as a hockey puck at 150 miles per hour with a basket strapped to your hand?

You may be thinking, why would I ever have to?

Well, it’s a must if you want to be competitive at jai alai, a sport that was at one point so Miami, its imagery made it into the opening sequence of Miami Vice.

A league now just under five years old is doing all it can to bring this sport that originated in the Basque Country back into the mainstream. (In fact, their championship game is coming up on May 8, so mark your calendar.)

Here’s what to know.

What is jai alai?

As Encyclopedia Britannica explains, the sport is played in a three-walled court with a hard rubber ball that is caught and thrown with a cesta, a long, curved wicker scoop strapped to one arm. Points are scored if the opposing player or players can’t return the throw. Fun fact: the game was imported to Cuba in 1900.

In the words of World Jai Alai League COO Scott Savin: “It’s the greatest sport you’ve never heard of.” But it wasn’t always that way.

What happened to jai alai?

The sport was all the rage in South Florida in the 1970s and 80s. But it almost went extinct after players went on strike for better pay. During the three year hiatus, new teams, like the Heat, the Marlins and the Panthers had moved into South Florida, and fans had moved on from jai alai.

What was nearly the final nail in the coffin was that you couldn’t gamble on jai alai in the Sunshine State until the beginning of 2025.

Where can I watch jai alai?

Now to the good stuff.

The only place in the country where you can regularly watch live jai alai played on an actual fronton is at the JAM Arena at Casino Miami, located at 3500 Northwest 37th Avenue. (Some exhibition matches are occasionally played at The Casino at Dania Beach, but their last season was in 2021.)

Every Friday, six teams battle it out during a season that runs from February to early May.

And you’re not too late to see what all the fuss is about, because the top two teams will fight for the championship on May 8. General admission tickets are free.

How is jai alai played today?

The World Jai Alai League (WJAL) says it’s made what’s dubbed as “the fastest ball sport in the world” even faster by changing the style of play. So now, the format is a little more like tennis, where teams have to make six points to win a set and two sets to win a game.

The WJAL is working hard to make what some thought would be an impossible comeback for the game. But sure enough, its following is growing, particularly on social media Savin says. And the atmosphere in the stands remains just as electrifying as it was decades ago.

They’re even talking about starting women’s teams in 2027.

Already a fan? You’re in good company

On a Friday night in 2025, none other than Miami Heat star Glen Rice sits in the stands.

He says he’s a fan, and what the league is trying to do reminds him of the Heat’s early days.

“When I came to Miami it was the second year that the Miami Heat was a franchise, and I watched it grow over the years,” he said. “And I hope jai alai can do the same thing.”

Meanwhile, another Heat star, Udonis Haslem, owns the Rebote Renegades. Y100 radio host K Marie owns the Devils. And Mr. Worldwide, Pitbull, is an equity investor in the league.

How much more Miami can you get? It’s got the history, and the speed needed to keep people on the edge of their seats.

Now it just needs more people to know the game is back and here to stay.

Friday night jai alai, anyone?