Basketball movies every fan should watch
A filmmaker compiled a list of basketball films that demonstrate the sport’s cinematic appeal. Steve James’ Hoop Dreams from 1994 follows two Chicago teenagers pursuing NBA careers over five years and examines race and class in America.
Gene Hackman starred in Hoosiers from 1986 as a coach leading a small Indiana school to a state championship. Spike Lee directed He Got Game in 1998 with Denzel Washington as a prisoner trying to influence his son’s college choice.
Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson appeared in White Men Can’t Jump from 1992 about streetball hustlers. Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Love and Basketball (2000) centered on a female athlete’s journey through childhood and professional sports.
Ben Affleck portrayed an alcoholic former player coaching high school basketball in The Way Back (2020). Michael Jordan teamed up with animated characters in Space Jam (1996), while Adam Sandler played an NBA scout in Hustle (2022).
