Here are the top 5 NBA/basketball movies ever
You might know us better as sofa surfers, but the Film Daily crew have been known to exercise (occasionally). We love us some basketball and we can often be seen cheering on our home team the LA Lakers courtside at Staples Center.
Our love of bingewatching tops any sporting inclination though, and we love to watch NBA at home on our couches while also doing NBA betting online. If you love the sofa more than the court, we’ve come up with this handy list of the top five NBA movies ever made. Enjoy watching these inside while wearing the jersey of your favorite team – we will be.
He Got Game
Spike Lee is one of our faves, and He Got Game is one of his most classic movies. The story centers around Jesus Shuttlesworth (Ray Allen), who is an in-demand high school basketball prospect and his father Jake (Denzel Washington), who is serving jail time and is given one week to convince his son to attend the alma mater of the state governor in exchange for a shortened prison sentence.
We won’t spoil the ending, but this movie is a great choice for anyone who understands that basketball is all about community and family as well as sport.
Hoop Dreams
This incredible documentary foregrounds two South Side Chicago teenagers. No matter what the cost is, Arthur Agee and William Gates are going to work to make it big in basketball.
This movie follows the human side of chasing the basketball dream. Both Gates and Agee face many struggles along the way: poor grades, family addictions, family deaths, and serious injuries. They work hard to reach their goals both on the court and off.
Love and Basketball
Love and Basketball shows us that we can form deep relationships with people who share the commonality of a shared love. This beautifully told story of a couple shooting for their dreams while striving for excellence is a romantic take on how shared passions and experience can conquer all in the end. It’s also a great representation of how difficult a college basketball player’s life can be.
Space Jam
Michael Jordan (He Got Game), Danny DeVito (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Bill Murray (Ghostbusters), and the Looney Tunes competing in the biggest basketball game the universe has ever witnessed? Sold.
No NBA movie list could be complete without this gem. Space Jam is a fun frolic across the courts when Michael Jordan, Muggsy Bogues, Shawn Bradley, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, and more epic players come face to face with Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes crew. We have no more words; do yourself a favor and watch Space Jam now.
White Men Can’t Jump
White Men Can’t Jump is a great comedy that falls into the “hustle” genre. Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson) and Sidney Deane (Wesley Snipes) are an unlikely pair of ballers that form a tag team to hustle unsuspecting victims. If you enjoy a good bromance, like a laugh, and love con movies, this is the perfect Sunday afternoon watch for you.
