Green’s Dictionary of Slang

baller n.

[? have a ball under ball n.3 ; the term is used esp. by the Los Angeles gang the Bloods; balla is a consciously ‘wrong’ spelling, designed to emphasize the ‘outlaw’ status of such individuals]

1. a hedonist.

‘Yulesville’ in Bench Racer at r.webring.com 🌐 And with that red nose he looked like a baller.
B. Koeler ‘Be My Alibi’ in ThugLit Sept. [ebook] Alright, big baller, you see the messages.

2. (US black, also balla) one who is extremely rich, esp. from the profits of criminality.

[US]L. Bing Do or Die (1992) xvi: The new dealer is a young black entrepreneur, and he is called either a high roller or a baller, depending on his gang allegiance.
[US] Snoop Doggy Dogg ‘Murder was the Case’ 🎵 Livin like a baller loc / I’m havin money, and blowin hella chronic smoke.
[US]Arlington Morning News (Dallas, TX) 6 Nov. 4A: The place has a reputation [...] not always of middle class homes with children on the honor roll, but of broken ones with ‘ballas’ on the corner.
[US]Eminem ‘Under the Influence’ 🎵 I love snatchin’ up playas, thugs and young ballas / Shoot up the household, even the young toddlers.
[US]T.I. ‘Swing Ya Rag’ 🎵 While you’re in the line at the club I’m in the back dawg / and when this song on, ballas peel stacks off.
Young M.A. ‘Eat’ 🎵 Yeah, flexing and stunting, doing what ballers do.
[UK]G. Krauze What They Was 45: They only rate ballers [...] man who are trapping and making p’s and rocking Gucci and Louis and Balmain.
[US]S.A. Crosby Razorblade Tears 166: ‘[They] want to tag along with some real ballers’.

3. (US campus) one who enjoys playing sport, esp. basketball.

[[Aus]Sport (Adelaide) 23 Aug. 9/1: Nip, a once much sought after baller, is a well known contracter’s pay clerk] .
[US]P. Beatty White Boy Shuffle 73: Ain’t no seventh grade ballers in the city dunking.
[US]Da Bomb 🌐 2: Baller: [...] 2. Someone who loves to play sports especially basketball.
[US]Eble Campus Sl. Apr.

4. (US campus) an attractive person.

[US]College Sl. Research Project (Cal. State Poly. Uni., Pomona) 🌐 Baller (noun) A person who is able to attract many members of the opposite sex. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI;].
[US]Eble Campus Sl. Apr.

5. used attrib.

[US]I. Fitzgerald Dirtbag Massachusetts 8: Sara Crewe [...] who is having an incredible baller birthday celebration.