Basketball Movies
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The sport of basketball caters itself to being reimagined on the silver screen. Close-up camera angles zero in on the action — depicting the tangible acts of dribbling and shooting, not to mention the facial expressions of the athletes competing. There are five films in the genre that stand out above the rest. Four are of the drama/comedy variety, while a fifth interestingly enough is considered among the best documentaries ever made.
5. Love & Basketball
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This film takes place over 10+ years, where high school next-door neighbors become lovers in college, and then ultimately break up after going down different paths. The film technically is broken up into ‘four quarters’, showing the progression of Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Q (Omar Epps) as they aim to find themselves. The basketball scenes in this movie are good, though the chemistry between the two leads and the tremendous soundtrack is what carries this film.
4. White Men Can’t Jump
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Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes form an unconventional duo out on the courts as the tandem hustles unsuspecting hoopers throughout Los Angeles for some quick dough. Each is motivated to provide for their wives, who are both a bit tired of the basketball-playing schemes. There are a few noteworthy cameos in this movie (namely former NBA player Marques Johnson), and the film in its totality still holds up as a hilarious take at streetball mixed with the dichotomy of people coming from different worlds.
3. Hoosiers
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Hoosiers is a great encapsulation of the grassroots era, where basketball was played at its purest form without commercialization, YouTube, TikTok, or incessant marketing. Gene Hackman is the coach of this Indiana high school team aiming to become state champions. While this movie does tap into the cliche of teamwork and togetherness, there’s something timeless about this film regardless of the generation viewing it for the first time. Being a period piece, it also does a nice job of showcasing the 50s basketball scene for those who didn’t experience it themselves.
2. Hoop Dreams
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One could make a case that this is the best sports-centric documentary ever made. Some might even call it among the best documentaries created regardless of genre. It follows two inner-city Chicago teens trying to help get their families out of tough financial situations via the game of basketball. Both start at a prestigious private school, though one ends up leaving and returning to his local high school. Filmed over four years, the audience watches as these two young hoopers go through high school to play in college — all while dealing with significantly difficult issues at home.
1. He Got Game
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This Spike Lee film is more so a commentary on a fractured relationship between an absentee father (Denzel Washington) and a budding basketball prodigy (Ray Allen). While Allen isn’t a trained actor, his freshness in this role made it immensely natural. Washington’s acting chops were on full display here, and the backdrop of Coney Island and New York City as a whole provided the film with two inanimate characters. The famed one-on-one scene between the two stands as an immensely captivating yet emotional scene.
