Top 10 best basketball movies of all-time ranked

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Thirty-nine years ago this week the greatest basketball movie was released. It created the benchmark not just for basketball movies but all sports movies that have followed it. It holds up still today and has dozens of iconic scenes and memorable lines.

Here are the Top 10 basketball movies of all-time, according to basketball.com.au editor Peter Brown.

10. The Way Back (2020)‍

Grounded, emotionally honest drama starring Ben Affleck as Jack Cunningham, a former high-school basketball star battling alcoholism and personal loss. He reluctantly returns to coach at his old school, finding structure, meaning, and connection through rebuilding a struggling team. The film avoids clichés, focusing instead on character, recovery, and the quiet, imperfect steps toward healing. Affleck’s performance is raw and deeply personal, mirroring elements of his own life. While basketball frames the story, it’s ultimately about redemption, accountability, and rediscovering purpose through mentorship and the daily grind of showing up when it matters.

9. Blue Chips (1994)‍

Blue Chips dives into the gritty underbelly of college basketball long before NIL and transfer portals reshaped the sport. Nick Nolte plays Coach Pete Bell, a relentless competitor pushed into the moral grey zones of recruiting corruption. Featuring real NBA stars Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway — whose chemistry foreshadowed their Orlando Magic partnership — the film blends authenticity with sharp commentary on pressure, winning culture, and institutional hypocrisy. It captures the tension between tradition and the modern game, revealing how desperation to succeed can warp values. Blue Chips remains strikingly relevant, reflecting debates still shaping college athletics today.

8. Coach Carter (2005)‍

Based on a true story, Coach Carter follows Ken Carter, portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson, whose unwavering commitment to academics and discipline transforms a talented but unfocused Richmond High basketball team. Carter benches his undefeated squad for poor grades, igniting controversy but reinforcing life lessons beyond sport. The film blends on-court energy with off-court challenges — poverty, violence, and limited opportunity — showing basketball as both escape and structure. Its message is clear: character and education matter more than wins. Jackson’s commanding performance and the film’s emotional weight have turned Coach Carter into a staple of sports-leadership culture and motivational storytelling.

7. Glory Road (2006)‍

The historic story of Texas Western’s 1966 men’s basketball team, the first to start an all-African American lineup in an NCAA championship game. Led by coach Don Haskins, played by Josh Lucas, the team confronts racism, hostility, and enormous pressure on their path to the title. The film balances basketball action with powerful social context, highlighting the courage and resilience required to break long-standing barriers. It celebrates the players’ skill, unity, and determination, while acknowledging the cost of being pioneers. As both a sports film and civil-rights story, Glory Road remains inspiring and culturally significant.

6. Space Jam (1996)‍

Space Jam is a one-of-a-kind fusion of basketball superstardom and animated chaos, starring Michael Jordan at the height of his global influence. The Looney Tunes recruit Jordan to help them defeat a squad of alien-powered “Monstars,” leading to one of the most iconic sports sequences ever created. The film captures the fun, irreverent spirit of ’90s culture while showcasing Jordan’s mythic status. Cameos from NBA players, a memorable soundtrack, and groundbreaking live-action/animation blending made it a cultural event. For many fans, Space Jam wasn’t just a movie — it was an introduction to basketball, heroism, and the joy of imagination.

5. Love & Basketball (2000)‍

Love & Basketball intertwines romance and ambition in a way few sports films attempt. Following Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps) from childhood to adulthood, the story explores how two driven athletes navigate love, identity, and professional pressure. Monica’s pursuit of respect in women’s basketball grounds the film with authenticity, while Quincy’s journey through the expectations of a star prospect adds emotional weight. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood delivers a film that values subtlety and character as much as sport. It became a defining portrayal of Black love, women’s hoops, and the sacrifices required to chase a dream without losing yourself.

4. Hoop Dreams (1994)‍

Hoop Dreams was a groundbreaking, nearly three-hour documentary following Chicago teenagers William Gates and Arthur Agee as they pursue the dream of reaching the NBA. Filmed over five years, the story captures the realities of talent pipelines, economic inequality, family pressure, and the volatility of high-school basketball recruitment. What begins as a sports narrative becomes a profound examination of American society — opportunity, race, education, and hope. Its emotional depth, patience, and honesty transformed documentary filmmaking. Hoop Dreams is widely regarded as one of the greatest documentaries ever made, not just in sports but in all cinema, because it feels undeniably real.

3. White Men Can’t Jump (1992)‍

White Men Can’t Jump is a brilliant blend of street ball swagger, sharp comedy, and character-driven storytelling. Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes star as hustlers navigating Venice Beach courts, racial stereotypes, and the unpredictability of playground culture. The banter is legendary — fast, funny, and cutting — and the basketball action feels raw and authentic. But beneath the jokes is a film about trust, insecurity, pride, and survival. It captures street ball’s rhythm, hustle, and psychological warfare better than any other movie. With its iconic scenes and cultural influence, White Men Can’t Jump remains a defining basketball film of the early ’90s.

2. He Got Game (1998)‍

Spike Lee’s He Got Game is a stylish, emotional, and deeply human film about the pressure placed on young basketball phenoms. Denzel Washington delivers a powerful performance as Jake Shuttlesworth, a father temporarily released from prison to convince his estranged son Jesus — played with surprising poise by Ray Allen — to attend the governor’s alma mater. The film examines exploitation, fame, recruiting, family wounds, and the weight of expectation. Its visual flair, Public Enemy soundtrack, and unflinching honesty make it stand out. He Got Game remains the definitive cinematic portrait of how basketball intersects with community, ambition, and personal sacrifice.

1. Hoosiers (November, 1986)‍

Not just the greatest basketball movie ever made but one of the greatest sports movies ever made. "I’ll make it," says Jimmy Chitwood in the time-out before Hickory wins the state championship on Chitwood's make. Hoosiers is the quintessential basketball movie, a timeless underdog story rooted in small-town Indiana passion. Gene Hackman stars as Coach Norman Dale, whose tough, old-school methods clash with locals until the team’s improbable run to the state championship unites the community. The film captures basketball’s heartland mythology — packed gyms, fundamental play, and the almost spiritual connection between sport and identity. Its score, ensemble cast, and authentic depiction of high-school hoops create emotional resonance that has endured for decades. Hoosiers is not just a basketball movie; it’s the genre’s blueprint, shaping how underdog sports stories are told across all eras.

• “Measure from the rim to the free-throw line. I think you’ll find it’s the exact same measurements as our gym back in Hickory. The court is the same size as the one at home,” coach Norman Dale told his players as they entered the stadium for the state finals.
• “I know everything there is to know about the greatest game ever invented,” says Shooter, played by Dennis Hooper.
• “Alright boys… we're gonna run the picket fence. Don’t get caught watching the paint dry,” says Shooter.