Pretty good...but even the last NBA Street is still more worth the money more than this.
The career mode could be considered the main focus of the game, and it's not that bad, but only because of the role-playing aspect of it. You create your baller with decent customization options and quickly learn of a story of how you got jipped out of a chance at stardom. Every cutscene brings you deeper into the story, and suprisingly, it feels immersive, as I actually began to feel like him.
The actual gameplay, though, is a little lacking. The games in career mode basically consist of 1-on-1 after 1-on-1 after 1-on-1. Sometimes they'll try to throw in special conditions, but those are only like "5-second shot clock" or "Keep opponent below 8 points". At least Street Vol.3 had way better variety that way.
What I find the best part of the game is the multiplayer, that is, if you have friends. Get one or two friends and play the 1-on-1-on-1. Suprisingly, that's a bunch of fun, but even that gets old quick, lowering the value.
The graphics are good, but some things don't look right, like the hands, and other cartoony features, but it is pretty good overall. The music is great, consisting of hip-hop (of course), and they aren't bad songs, but other sound like the announcer gets extremely annoying. Whenever he says names, it sounds like a robot, and his lines are terrible. No wonder Street Vol.3 just put music during the games.
In the end, unless you are a rabid Street Ball fan or have a spare $40 for another basketball game sitting around, you probably should avoid buying this.