The NBA season has ended, but if you’re still hungry for more basketball, here are the 20 best movies to keep you entertained

The adrenaline of the NBA season has come to an end, the champions have been crowned and the curtain comes down for the year. But if you’re one of those who can’t live without the sound of the ball bouncing and the crunch of the court, don’t worry, movies are here to fill the void. Basketball has inspired countless stories on the big screen, from heartwarming dramas to hilarious comedies and jaw-dropping documentaries.

So, to keep the love for basketball alive, we have compiled a list of the 20 top movies according to Rotten Tomatoes, that will allow you to continue enjoying this exciting sport, either from the comfort of your armchair or feeling the thrill of every basket.

The 20 best movies and documentaries about basketball

1- The First Slam Dunk (2022)

Shohoku’s “speedster” and point guard, Ryota Miyagi, always plays with brains and lightning speed, running circles around his opponents while feigning composure. Born and raised in Okinawa, Ryota had a brother who was three years older. Following in the footsteps of his older brother, who was a famous local player from a young age, Ryota also became addicted to basketball. In his second year of high school, Ryota plays with the Shohoku High School basketball team along with Sakuragi, Rukawa, Akagi, and Mitsui as they take the stage at the Inter-High School National Championship. And now, they are on the brink of challenging the reigning champions, Sannoh Kogyo High School.

2 - Hoop Dreams (1994)

Every school day, African-American teenagers William Gates and Arthur Agee travel 90 minutes each way from inner-city Chicago to St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, a predominately white suburban school well-known for the excellence of its basketball program. Gates and Agee dream of NBA stardom, and with the support of their close-knit families, they battle the social and physical obstacles that stand in their way. This acclaimed documentary was shot over the course of five years.

3 - Air (2023)

From award-winning director Ben Affleck, AIR reveals the unbelievable game-changing partnership between a then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division which revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. This moving story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time.

4 - Hustle (2022)

Stanley Sugerman’s (Adam Sandler) love for basketball is unparalleled, but the travel weary Philadelphia 76ers scout who has higher ambitions of being a coach remains stuck on the road looking for the next unknown talent. His search around the world leads him to Spain, when he discovers Bo Cruz (NBA player Juancho Hernangómez), an incredible streetball player with a troubled past. Stanley and Bo connect on and off the court, with their passion for the game and as loving family men who want to prove they can win, in basketball and in life. With the support of Stanley’s wife, Teresa (Queen Latifah), can the underdogs come out on top?

5 - High Flying Bird (2019)

In the midst of a pro basketball lockout, sports agent Ray Burke (André Holland) finds himself caught in the face-off between the league and the players. His career is on the line, but Ray is playing for higher stakes. With only 72 hours to pull off a daring plan, he outmaneuvers all the power-players as he uncovers a loophole that could change the game forever. The outcome raises questions of who owns the game – and who ought to.

6 - Hoosiers (1986)

Failed college coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) gets a chance at redemption when he is hired to direct the basketball program at a high school in a tiny Indiana town. After a teacher (Barbara Hershey) persuades star player Jimmy Chitwood to quit and focus on his long-neglected studies, Dale struggles to develop a winning team in the face of community criticism for his temper and his unconventional choice of assistant coach: Shooter (Dennis Hopper), a notorious alcoholic.

7 - The Heart of the Game (2005)

Filmed over a period of seven years, director Ward Serrill profiles Bill Resler, a university professor who coaches a basketball team comprised of high-school girls. Darnellia Russell, one of the team’s few black players, also comes into focus as she struggles to stay on the team despite major obstacles.

8 - Love & Basketball (2000)

Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps) are two childhood friends who both aspire to be professional basketball players. Quincy, whose father, Zeke (Dennis Haysbert), plays for the Los Angeles Clippers, is a natural talent and a born leader. Monica is ferociously competitive but sometimes becomes overly emotional on the court. Over the years, the two begin to fall for each other, but their separate paths to basketball stardom threaten to pull them apart.

9 - The Way Back (2020)

Jack Cunningham was a high school basketball superstar who suddenly walked away from the game for unknown reasons. Years later, he’s now stuck in a meaningless job and struggling with alcoholism -- the very thing that ruined his marriage and his hope for a better life. But Jack soon gets a shot at redemption when he becomes the basketball coach for his alma mater, a program that has fallen on hard times since his teenage glory days.

10 - He Got Game (1998)

Jake Shuttleworth (Denzel Washington) has spent the last six years in prison after accidentally killing his wife during a violent domestic dispute, leaving his son, star basketball prospect Jesus Shuttleworth (Ray Allen), to fend for himself. One day, the prison warden (Ned Beatty) approaches Jake with an unusual offer: He’ll be given a week of parole to convince Jesus to attend the governor’s alma mater, with the promise of a shortened sentence if he succeeds.

11 - White Men Can’t Jump (1992)

Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson) is a white basketball hustler who banks on black players underestimating his skills on the court. When he pulls one over on Sidney Deane (Wesley Snipes), his victim sees a lucrative opportunity, and they become partners in the con game, plying their trade across the courts of Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Billy has to keep one step ahead of mobsters, to whom he owes money, while staying on the good side of his Jeopardy!-obsessed, motormouth wife (Rosie Perez).

12 - Finding Forrester (2000)

A unique relationship develops between an eccentric, reclusive novelist and a young, amazingly gifted scholar-athlete. After the novelist discovers that the young athlete is also an excellent writer and secretly takes him on as his protégé, they develop an unlikely friendship. As they learn more about each other, they learn more about themselves, and ultimately, with the help of his new mentor, the basketball star must choose the right path.

13 - Chang Can Dunk (2023)

“Chang Can Dunk” follows Chang, a 16-year-old, Asian American high school student in the marching band, who bets the school basketball star that he can dunk by Homecoming. The bet leads the 5′ 8″ Chang on a quest to find the hops he needs to dunk in order to impress his crush, Kristy, and finally gain the attention and respect of his high school peers. But before he can rise up and truly throw one down, he’ll have to reexamine everything he knows about himself, his friendships and his family.

14 - Rez Ball (2024)

In the heart of Chuska, New Mexico, the Chuska Warriors, a high school basketball team rich in Native American heritage, face their greatest challenge. After the loss of their star player, the team must unite like never before to keep their dreams of a state championship alive. This is more than just a game; it’s a journey of resilience and unity, a true underdog story deeply rooted in Native American culture.

15 - Rise (2022)

After emigrating from Nigeria to Greece, Charles and Vera Antetokounmpo (Dayo Okeniyi and Yetide Badaki, respectively) struggled to survive and provide for their five children, while living under the daily threat of deportation. With their oldest son still in Nigeria with relatives, the couple were desperate to obtain Greek citizenship but found themselves undermined by a system that blocked them at every turn.

16 - The Other Dream Team (2012)

The story of Lithuania’s 1992 Olympic basketball team whose athletes won the bronze medal.

17 - Stephen Curry: Underrated (2023)

“Stephen Curry: Underrated” is the remarkable coming-of-age story of one of the most influential, dynamic and unexpected players in the history of basketball. This feature documentary -- blending intimate cinéma vérité, archival footage and on camera interviews -- documents Curry’s rise from an undersized college player at a small town Division I college to a four-time NBA champion, building one of the most dominant sports dynasties in the world.

18 - The Absent Minded Professor (1961)

Disney comedy about a professor who invents a revolutionary flying rubber, which he dubs “flubber”. Not only does the professor’s Model T Ford fly through the air with the greatest of ease, but his secret weapon helps the college basketball team to victory, thanks to flubber-enhanced boots, but while his long-suffering girlfriend tries to win the professor’s heart, crooks are trying to steal his formula.

19 - Quantum Hoops (2007)

David Duchovny narrates the incredible true story of the Caltech men’s basketball team and their quest to end an impossible losing streak that started in 1985 - over 250 games ago.

20 - More Than a Game (2008)

Filmmaker Kristopher Belman chronicles the early career of basketball superstar LeBron James. James and four other talented teammates were a powerhouse combination at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. The five star athletes burned up the courts throughout Ohio, but James’ ever-increasing celebrity threatened to tear apart all the five had worked so hard to achieve.

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