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Early attempts to bring movies based on sporting events to the big screen were often misguided, and it wasn't until Rocky's release in 1976 that everything changed. Rocky Balboa's underdog story perfectly combined drama with excellent action sequences and movie makers have been following a similar blueprint ever since.
There are several great movies from other major sports such as Field of Dreams, Any Given Sunday, and Miracle - however, no team sport transcends to the big screen in the same way that basketball does. So, with an array of famous movies to chose from, here we take a look at the best basketball movies of all time.
Note: Hoop Dreams has been excluded from selection due to its status as a documentary
#5 Coach Carter (2005)
Like many films before, Coach Carter revolves around a talented high school basketball team, although the film stands out from the crowd due to its captivating look at what happens off the court. Based on the true story of Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter, the movie opens with Samuel L Jackson (Carter) returning to his old high-school, although Carter quickly realizes that his team is ill-prepared for life after high school.
In an attempt to help his team grow as men, Carter makes the entire team sign contracts, and much of the movie deals with the fallout of Carter locking the school gym after his players fail to achieve the agreed-upon grades.
Jackson commands the role of Carter in one of his most underrated performances, while a young Channing Tatum shines in one of his earliest roles. Ultimately, Coach Carter is the quintessential high-school basketball movie, and you should definitely check it out if it has flown under your radar.
#4 Glory Road (2006)
Aside from the excellent Remember the Titans, Walt Disney Pictures' films based on sporting stories are usually less than memorable, although, Glory Road stands out from the crowd. Set in Texas at the height of racial tensions, the true story follows Texas Western coach Don Haskins as he attempts to lead a predominantly black team to the NCAA national championship.
The on-court action is great, although Glory Road shines brightest when portraying the difficulties that black athletes had to contend with during the height of the civil rights movement. By the time the climatic 1966 N.C.A.A. championship game rolls around, it is apparent that there is a lot more than a basketball title at stake, and Glory Road provides a fascinating insight into one of the biggest games in the history of college basketball.
#3 White Men Can't Jump (1992)
White Men Can't Jump was released back in 1992, and the movie perfectly captures the essence of streetball. The film focuses on former college basketball star Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson) and Sidney Deane (Wesley Snipes), who form an unlikely team to hustle the local neighborhood. The plot may be simple, although the memorable dialogue and chemistry between Harrelson and Snipes provide plenty of iconic moments, while Rosie Perez's performance as Sidney's Jeopardy obsessed girlfriend also contributes plenty to the story while not distracting from the on-court action.
Harrelson and Snipes' basketball skills also impressed several people on the set, with NBA Hall of Famer Bob Lanier suggesting that the duo could have played Division III college basketball. A remake with Detroit Pistons star Blake Griffin has been in development since 2017, although it will be incredibly tough to exceed the original.
#2 Space Jam (1996)
While many of the best basketball movies appeal mostly to NBA fans, Space Jam is a rare movie that has wide-ranging lasting appeal thanks to the universal draw of the Looney Tunes. At the point of Space Jam's release in 1996, Michael Jordan had already returned to the NBA, and the film's plot presents a fictionalized take on what happened during MJ's initial retirement.
In this timeline, Jordan teams up with the Looney Tunes squad to take on Swackhammer and his Monstars team, who have stolen the talents of Charles Barkley, Shawn Bradley, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson and Muggsy Bogues to hilarious effect.
Helping matters is an excellent soundtrack, while Bill Murray and Wayne Knight are great in supporting roles. Two decades on and Space Jam remains the highest-grossing basketball film of all time, and we will finally get a sequel starring LeBron James in 2021.
#1 He Got Game (1998)
He Got Game was released more than two decades ago, although Spike Lee's classic remains as relevant as ever. Lee's love for the game shines through throughout its 136 minutes run time, as we follow the story of Jake Shuttlesworth (Denzel Washington), who is offered a reduced prison sentence in return for getting his son to go to a specific college.
His son happens to be the top-ranked basketball prospect in the country, and much of the movie deals with Jake fixing his broken relationship with his son, while also dealing with the demons from his past.
Nevertheless, the movie really shines when it comes to its portrayal of how teenage phenom athletes are treated by society, and Ray Allen excels in his first-ever acting role as the emotionally torn Jesus Shuttlesworth. The ending continues to split critics, although He Got Game is a timeless classic that has yet to be topped by another basketball film.
