There are a lot of movies out there in the world but basketball movies hold a special place in the hearts of basketball fans. Since movies started gaining dominance as a medium for mass communication, several basketball movies have been released.
Everyone has diverging tastes and considers a different movie to be the best. Today we’ll be listing down ten of the best basketball movies ever made to establish a common ground and at the same time give you a reason to update your watchlist.
#10. Hoosiers (1986)
Hoosiers can be considered as one of the classics when it comes to basketball movies, it is a classic story of second chances, determination, and perseverance. The story revolves around a man named Norman Dale who is a former college basketball coach. He has a troubled past and because of that ends up losing his job.
Dale then gets hired at Hickory High School as a basketball coach for their team.
Hickory is a small town in Indiana but the high school there had a rich basketball tradition which died unfortunately over the years. Dale’s arrival at the high school tasked him with the challenging task of reviving the team and leading them to become the state champions.
Hoosiers is always praised for the impact it had outside of the cinema theaters. It is a timeless classic telling the story of hard work, perseverance, and determination, truly deserving the opening spot for this best basketball movies list.
The cast of Hoosiers included the likes of Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey, Dennis Hopper, and Maris Valainis. It hit the cinema theaters on 14 November 1985 with a runtime of 115 minutes and did a total box office collection of $28.6 million.
#9. Love and Basketball (2000)
Romantic comedies are always a hit in cinemas but romantic sports stories make the hearts of the audience skip more beats. Love and Basketball is a true example of that, released on 21 April 2000.
This film directed by Spike Lee tells a loving tale of two basketball players living in the same neighborhood falling for each other while trying to make a basketball career for themselves.
It is a beautiful story divided into four quarters each representing a different time in the life of the protagonists while also setting a basketball theme. The lead roles in the movie are played by Omar Epps and Sanaa Latha. The movie has a runtime of 127 minutes and collected $27.7 million in box office collections worldwide.
#8. He Got Game (1998)
Spike Lee did the unthinkable in the late 90’s and released a movie that fell into both the sports genre and the thriller genre. Combining sports and thriller genres can be a difficult task given that both genres are very different from each other and often relate to different themes. However, Spike Lee was able to accomplish this feat and thus “He Got Game” was released on 25 April 1998.
This movie is a sports thriller that follows the life of a father and son where the father Jake Shuttlesworth is in prison for the murder of his wife.
However, he is the father of the top basketball talent in the country Jesus Shuttlesworth. He is released from prison on parole to persuade his son to play for the alma mater of the governor in exchange for a reduced sentence.
The movie showcases a different side of a bond between a father and son and the people had mixed feelings about it. The movie stars Denzel Washington as the father and Ray Allen as the son with a total runtime of 136 minutes. Unfortunately, it failed to make an impact at the Box office earning $22.4 million while the total budget of the film was $25 million.
#7. Semi-Pro (2008)
Semi-Pro released on 19 February 2008 is a comedic film with a satirical theme aimed towards the NBA and ABA merger. It featured actors like Woody Harrelson, Will Ferrell, Maura Tierney, and André Benjamin leading the cast.
The story revolves around a fictional team in the ABA desperate to survive the ABA and NBA merger as their team could be wiped off existence if they are not good enough.
The film received mixed reactions from the audience as the humor felt forced and repetitive. Critics insisted the script fell short on different parameters and only Ferrell was praised for his acting performance. The film had a runtime of 92 minutes and made only $43.9 million despite having a huge budget of $55 million.
#6. The Way Back (2020)
Another Sports Drama takes the sixth spot on this best basketball movies list. The Way Back also known as Finding The Way Back in the UK and Ireland is a sports drama film directed by Gavin O’ Connor.
Starring Ben Affleck, Michaela Watkins, Al Madrigal, and Janina Gavankar tells the story of an alcoholic construction worker who is recruited as a head coach for his high school where he was a Basketball star in high school days. On paper, the story of the film looks enticing and makes viewers want to watch it.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic struck at the release of this film, and all the cinema theatres were closed down which hit the premier in the gut. Despite having an inspiring story and a good cast of actors The Way Back was unable to make good money at the Box Office. It had a runtime of 108 minutes and was able to collect just $15.5 million while having a budget of $25 million.
#5. Space Jam (1996)
Starring the Greatest Basketball Player of All Time, Michael Jordan, Space Jam is a different movie from any other on this best basketball movies list. The film brings the world of animation and reality together blending them as one and creating a delightful experience for the audience.
While some may see this movie as a work directed toward kids, Space Jam has enough star power to attract even grown-ups to give it a try.
The story of this movie is simple, the aliens have invaded the earth and now the loveable Looney Tunes characters try to ward them off. However, they are challenged to a basketball game to save the earth.
They seek help from various sources and even bring out a retired Michael Jordan, one of the greatest dunkers of all-time, as the final man to help them against the invasion. Directed by Joe Pytka this movie has a runtime of 88 minutes and was a super success at the box office earning a staggering $250.2 million with a budget of $80 million.
#4. White Men Can’t Jump (1992)
Released by 20th Century Fox on 27 Match 1992, “White Men Can’t Jump” is a sports comedy that tells the story of two street hustlers. Directed by Ron Shelton and starring Wesley Spines and Woody Harrelson as street hustlers, this movie takes a shot at the stereotype that ‘White people are not good at basketball.’
While most of the movie revolves around the main characters trying to get rich, it does not forget to add comedic spice to it against the backdrop of a basketball theme.
The total runtime of the movie is 115 minutes and it made a massive $90.8 million. As “While Men Can’t Jump” was successful at making its audience laugh and performed well at the box office, it deserves the seventh spot in this best basketball movies list.
#3. Coach Carter (2005)
Featuring a superstar like Samuel L. Jackson, the movie Coach Carter was bound to be a successful one. It was directed by Thomas Carter who surprisingly shares the same last name with the main character in the movie.
“Coach Carter” is inspired by the true story of coach Ken Carter who was a coach at the Richmond High School. Ken made headlines in 1999 after he suspended his dominant and undefeated high school basketball team after they performed poorly in academics.
The story of the movie plays a great role for aspiring athletes in society reminding them that giving it their all at the sports they love is fine, but they must not forget to have an academic balance as that is the prime objective at school.
Apart from Jackson, the cast includes Rob Brown, Debbi Morgan, Channing Tatum, and Robert Ri’chard. The film has a runtime of 136 minutes and was a huge success at the box office earning $76.7 million. Coach Carter truly deserves to be the number 3 spot on this best basketball movies list.
#2. Hustle (2022)
Directed by Jeremiah Zagar, Hustle is a sports comedy release on the cloud streaming service Netflix. This movie features Adam Sandler as an NBA scout who hasn’t been lucky for a while with his talent hunt.
While in Spain he discovers a raw talent who shows signs of great potential and starts to train him for the NBA draft. This story shows the struggle of an NBA scout and the pressure he has to deal with showing a different side of the sport to the audience.
Adam Sandler did a great job in the movie and also won his first Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for the movie. Apart from Sandler, the movie cast includes the likes of Ben Foster, Robert Duvall, Queen Latifah, Heidi Gardner, and current NBA star Anthony Edwards.
LeBron James, one of the most followed NBA icons, also plays a part in the movie as a producer. The film has a total runtime of 118 minutes and a budget of $21 million. It wasn’t released in theatres and thus does not have a box office collection, but it was well received by the audience and has received positive reviews from many critics.
#1. Air (2023)
Air released on 5 April 2023 is a biographical sports drama directed by Ben Affleck. This movie takes a different approach and shows the origin story of Air Jordan, a worldwide hit sneaker brand that arguably made Nike reach the heights they are at today.
The story revolves around the time when Nike went to sign Michael Jordan who was a rising rookie in the NBA. The plot revolves around the signing of Jordan by Nike and the strategic planning that went through to capitalize on the growing popularity of MJ who would go on to become one of the richest Americans ever to create a product line that is now worth billions of dollars.
The cast in this movie includes names like Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Ben Affleck, Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker, Chris Messina, and Viola Davis. This movie has a runtime of 112 minutes and was a success at the box office earning $90.1 million. The uniqueness of Air from all the other movies makes it a deserving candidate for the number one spot on this best basketball movie list.
Here are some honorable mentions that could not make the list, but were great in their own right:
- Hoop Dreams (1994)
- Above the Rim (1994)
- Blue Chips (1994)
- Glory Road (2006)
What did you think of this best basketball movies list? Have you watched any of the movies featured here? We are eager to hear from you, so drop down in the comments and let us know.
