(Photo by New Line Cinema/courtesy Everett Collection)
Our starting lineup for the best basketball movies of all time includes inspiring documentaries (Hoop Dreams), legendary underdog tales (Hoosiers), 1990s streetball classics (He Got Game, White Men Can’t Jump), and behind-the-scenes stories (High-Flying Bird) that reveal the business beyond the ball. The top 10 basketball movies are all Certified Fresh, meaning they were all slam dunks with critics.
Hoop Dreams and The Heart of the Game are both documentaries, following high schoolers (the former set in Chicago, the latter featuring an all-girls team in Seattle) as they pursue their ambition on the court. Hustle and The Way Back are comeback stories both on and off screen: Adam Sandler and Ben Affleck get to show off their dramatic chops as coaches after releasing a string of movies not taken seriously by critics. Affleck has a particular affection for basketball, as he released the crowd-pleasing Air in 2023. Air is similar to High-Flying Bird in that they both delve into some of the most legendary business deals in professional basketball.
Love & Basketball, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, blends romance and sports together, tracking a young athlete’s growth across high school, college and beyond. From the same year as Love & Basketball, 2000’s Finding Forrester sees director Gus Van Sant working the same gameplan that made Good Will Hunting a success. And He Got Game and White Men Can’t Jump hook in that ’90s edge, with Spike Lee, Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes, and Woody Harrelson all performing at the height of their powers.
Recently, we’ve added the Ben Affleck-directed and starrer Air (we call this one a shoe-in) and the Disney family drama Chang Can Dunk. —Alex Vo
#1
Adjusted Score: 101281%
Critics Consensus: One of the most critically acclaimed documentaries of all time, Hoop Dreams is a rich, complex, heartbreaking, and ultimately deeply rewarding film that uses high school hoops as a jumping-off point to explore issues of race, class, and education in modern America.
#2
Adjusted Score: 100183%
Critics Consensus: Hustle doesn’t have any fancy moves, but it doesn’t need them — Adam Sandler’s everyman charm makes this easy layup fun to watch.
#3
Adjusted Score: 109897%
Critics Consensus: A fact-based drama that no one will dunk on, Air aims to dramatize events that changed the sports world forever — and hits almost nothing but net.
#4
Adjusted Score: 94543%
Critics Consensus: It may adhere to the sports underdog formula, but Hoosiers has been made with such loving craft, and features such excellent performances, that it’s hard to resist.
#5
Adjusted Score: 98260%
Critics Consensus: High Flying Bird takes a thoughtful and engrossing look at professional sports that sees Steven Soderbergh continuing to test the limits of new filmmaking technology.
#6
Adjusted Score: 90052%
Critics Consensus: This group of high school girls and their eccentric basketball coach easily win your heart with their unusual humanity and dynamism.
Starring:
#7
Adjusted Score: 88604%
Critics Consensus: Confident directing and acting deliver an insightful look at young athletes.
#8
Adjusted Score: 97792%
Critics Consensus: The Way Back‘s occasionally frustrating treatment of a formulaic story is often outweighed by Ben Affleck’s outstanding work in the central role.
#9
Adjusted Score: 82596%
Critics Consensus: Though not without its flaws, He Got Game finds Spike Lee near the top of his game, combining trenchant commentary with his signature visuals and a strong performance from Denzel Washington.
#10
Adjusted Score: 78287%
Critics Consensus: White Men Can’t Jump provides a fresh take on the sports comedy genre, with a clever script and a charismatic trio of leads.
#11
Adjusted Score: 78210%
Critics Consensus: Despite the predictability of its plot and its similarity to Good Will Hunting, Finding Forrester has an honest, solid feel to it and good rapport between Connery and Brown.
#12
Adjusted Score: 95348%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#13
Adjusted Score: 91071%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#14
Adjusted Score: 88387%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Starring:
#15
Adjusted Score: 84428%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#16
Adjusted Score: 81526%
Critics Consensus: Dry and upbeat, this story of overachieving academics struggling as underdog athletes is a winner (even if their basketball team isn’t).
Starring:
#17
Adjusted Score: 72129%
Critics Consensus: Though the film may not delve as deep as some would prefer, More Than a Game is an inspiring documentary featuring likable youngsters, a positive message, and some exciting in-game footage.
#18
Adjusted Score: 67374%
Critics Consensus: This sports bio documentary is given a few fresh angles, including culture clash issues, and the friendship that develops between Yao and his interpreter.
#19
Adjusted Score: 65096%
Critics Consensus: Linsanity offers a compelling enough look at its basketball star subject for fans and curious viewers, even if it never really delves below the surface.
#20
Adjusted Score: 69242%
Critics Consensus: Even though it’s based on a true story, Coach Carter is pretty formulaic stuff, but it’s effective and energetic, thanks to a strong central performance from Samuel L. Jackson.
#21
Adjusted Score: 68336%
Critics Consensus: Though well-intentioned and serious in its exploration of teen violence, O is an uneven experiment that doesn’t quite succeed.
#22
Adjusted Score: 68494%
Critics Consensus: It won’t win many converts, but High School Musical 3 is bright, energetic, and well-crafted.
#23
Adjusted Score: 65357%
Critics Consensus: Kyrie Irving’s crossover to comedy is amiable enough to score with basketball fans, but Uncle Drew is held back by formulaic plotting and too much product placement.
#24
Adjusted Score: 15757%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#25
Adjusted Score: 65761%
Critics Consensus: Although its apparent attempts to be uplifting can often come across as patronizing, Champions is an amiable enough comedy with some seriously talented stars.
#26
Adjusted Score: 59543%
Critics Consensus: A pleasant and innocuous diversion for kids, but adults may have trouble sitting through the movie’s predictable plotlines and schmaltz.
#27
Adjusted Score: 61212%
Critics Consensus: Though it uses a well-worn formula, 17 Again has just enough Zac Efron charm to result in a harmless, pleasurable teen comedy.
#28
Adjusted Score: 60158%
Critics Consensus: As formulaic as sports movies get, this underdog story still triumphs on the strength of its inspiring story.
#29
Adjusted Score: 52450%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#30
Adjusted Score: 44831%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#31
Adjusted Score: 50524%
Critics Consensus: Well-intentioned but formulaic, Just Wright has winning leads but can’t overcome its preponderance of cliches.
#32
Adjusted Score: 48058%
Critics Consensus: Its heart is obviously in the right place, but The Mighty Macs is too blandly formulaic to transcend the genre’s many clichés.
#33
Adjusted Score: 47705%
Critics Consensus: In spite of its young leading man’s heroic efforts to hold it all together, a muddled message prevents The Basketball Diaries from compelling as a cautionary tale.
#34
Adjusted Score: 45430%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#35
Adjusted Score: 47517%
Critics Consensus: While it’s no slam dunk, Space Jam‘s silly, Looney Toons-laden slapstick and vivid animation will leave younger viewers satisfied — though accompanying adults may be more annoyed than entertained.
#36
Adjusted Score: 45094%
Critics Consensus: Boogie misses its shot with a contrived plot and uneven tone.
#37
Adjusted Score: 43949%
Critics Consensus: Though Michael J. Fox is as charismatic as ever, Teen Wolf‘s coming-of-age themes can’t help but feel a little stale and formulaic.
#38
Adjusted Score: 37865%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#39
Adjusted Score: 37034%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#40
Adjusted Score: 36054%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#41
Adjusted Score: 12870%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#42
Adjusted Score: 35569%
Critics Consensus: Despite LeBron James’ best efforts to make a winning team out of the Tune Squad, Space Jam: A New Legacy trades the zany, meta humor of its predecessor for a shameless, tired exercise in IP-driven branding.
#43
Adjusted Score: 19433%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#44
Adjusted Score: 27701%
Critics Consensus: Semi-Pro is an intermittently funny, half-hearted attempt at sports satire, and one of Will Ferrell’s weaker cinematic efforts.
#45
Adjusted Score: 21577%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#46
Adjusted Score: 21678%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#47
Adjusted Score: 24091%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#48
Adjusted Score: 16393%
Critics Consensus: Whoopi Goldberg may demonstrate that she can coach a basketball team with the best of them, but not even she can whip this dreary script into shape.
#49
Adjusted Score: 16788%
Critics Consensus: Rebound ought to entertain its target audience, but there’s nothing here for those who’ve seen The Bad News Bears or its countless derivatives.
#50
Adjusted Score: 12068%
Critics Consensus: With its tired premise, Juwanna Mann’s jokes fall flat.
#51
Adjusted Score: 8538%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#52
Adjusted Score: 5656%
Critics Consensus: Good-natured but prepared with an absence of craft, The Cookout is an unappetizing collection of warmed-over jokes.
#53
Adjusted Score: 3634%
Critics Consensus: This heartfelt but incompetent, cliche-ridden sports picture is the cinematic equivalent of an airball.