Top Ten Basketball Movies of All Time

[Truth&Justise]

We should have a list for movies with prominent basketball scenes where the movie wasn't really about basketball:
-One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
-The Great Santini
-Meatballs
-Along Came Polly

Catwoman

Escape from LA

Are these good scenes? Not really (and for the first one, it's a definite "no"). But they are memorable.

[LasVegas]

He Got Game….#1 all the way

[bundabergdevil]

He Got Game….#1 all the way

In re-watching He Got Game recently, I could not help but laugh at how bad Denzel Washington looks playing basketball.

It is a good movie though.

[bundabergdevil]

I come in Peace.

Attachment 13075

Every time. I laugh EVERY TIME.

[dukee94]

Yes, but Blue Chips starred Bobby Hurley.

(What do you mean he wasn’t the star of the movie?)

And Thomas Hill on the Coast Team.

[dukelifer]

Come on- High School Musical does not get a mention? - basketball dance choreography and songs- Get’cha Head in the Game people.

https://youtu.be/fzoYZV8WIUo

[LasVegas]

Come on- High School Musical does not get a mention? - basketball dance choreography and songs- Get’cha Head in the Game people.

https://youtu.be/fzoYZV8WIUo

For a kids movie, it’s actually pretty dang good. Not going to lie!

[rthomas]

OK casting movies as basketball movies is an issue. There are not really that meany good basketball movies.

1. Hoosiers.

Other movies had some basketball but were about much more.

Not like golf movies.
or football movies.

[sagegrouse]

OK casting movies as basketball movies is an issue. There are not really that meany good basketball movies.

1. Hoosiers.

Other movies had some basketball but were about much more.

Not like golf movies.
or football movies.

I thought "Uncle Drew" was an enjoyable movie. Although it was a "road" movie where every star had his moment to shine, it even had a story line. Kyrie, I thought, was a decent actor.

[cspan37421]

Carbon Copy, 1981:

https://youtu.be/wfy_rhzH-tk

Just remember kids, stereotypes are a great time-saver.
But they might cost you five bucks.

[Billy Dat]

For a kids movie, it’s actually pretty dang good. Not going to lie!

If you had kids/grandkids that were in the demo that they movie was aimed at (or, I suppose, the youngest DBRers could have been the target demo themselves), these movies were very good musicals and launched a bunch of show biz careers. Go Wildcats!

[dukejim1]

I think docs need their own category, as there are so many great ones.

I am surprised there is so much love for "One on One". I get the nostalgic kitsch appeal, but that movie is pretty bad. I guess it depends on how old you are, I have the same love for "Teen Wolf", especially the greatest coach since K, Bobby Finstock, whose life advice has steered me through some ambiguous times (his "3 rules" are right up there with "Coughlin's Laws" from 'Cocktail")

"Above the Rim" is a very popular one I haven't seen mentioned, I think it's pretty good. "High Flying Bird" is a newer entrant that I liked last year.

We should have a list for movies with prominent basketball scenes where the movie wasn't really about basketball:
-One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
-The Great Santini
-Meatballs
-Along Came Polly

Chief gets the Oscar for most dominant big man.

[JasonEvans]

Chief gets the Oscar for most dominant big man.

I mean, what a great scene!!

[subzero02]

In re-watching He Got Game recently, I could not help but laugh at how bad Denzel Washington looks playing basketball.

It is a good movie though.

His game might not have been a thing of beauty but he wasn't atrocious. The fact that he was able to score more than once with his YMCA-esque game is pretty impressive. This article discusses their one on one matchup.
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/r...n-he-got-game/

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Chips

Yes, how is this not getting more love? Especially here. Both Hurley and T Hill were in it.


*just noticed this point has been made. This underscores its glaring omission

[dball]

I saw it when it was released in 1960, starring Anthony Perkins. It had earlier been a successful play and the movie was directed by Joshua Logan of Sayonara and South Pacific fame..

If Anthony Perkins doesn't strike you as a basketball star, consider that the leading lady was the first movie role for Jane Fonda -- definitely counter the roles she later played. Also, I just read, Robert Redford played a bit part as a member of the hoops team -- definitely the first movie role for him.

Didn't see that movie but Perkins was pretty awful at baseball in Fear Strikes Out.

[SupaDave]

Late entry but it would be a travesty if we didn't include "Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault" played by the great Don Cheadle.

And some way some how - no one included Juwanna Man!!!

[DoubleBlue]

Late entry but it would be a travesty if we didn't include "Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault" played by the great Don Cheadle.

Yep, I loved that movie. I believe it was mostly factual. If things had worked out differently Manigault could have been an NBA legend. Those times in the playgrounds of New York City were legendary!

Another from that scene was Doctor J. who was portrayed well in "The Doctor" which showed some great footage of Rucker Park. I think there are plenty of great players who never made it out of those rough neighborhoods.

[SupaDave]

Yep, I loved that movie. I believe it was mostly factual. If things had worked out differently Manigault could have been an NBA legend. Those times in the playgrounds of New York City were legendary!

Another from that scene was Doctor J. who was portrayed well in "The Doctor" which showed some great footage of Rucker Park. I think there are plenty of great players who never made it out of those rough neighborhoods.

Timing was bad. Fresh off the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, and right into the crack epidemic. NYC was the first wave of the repercussions. It's also when we got some of our best NBA players from HBCUs in the south bc well, we didn't go to many PWIs.

Kareem, Wilt, Dr. J, Walt Frazier and Bill Russell were all basically one-offs at their institutions at the time. Meanwhile, Earl "the Pearl" Monroe moved south and dominated college basketball at Winston Salem State allowing him to flourish. Willis Reed, Bob Love, Truck Robinson, Bob Dandridge and Sam Jones all attended HBCUs and made many waves in the NBA. Ok, now I feel like I need to go and do a little research (bc I'm mostly just focusing on the 60s/70s here).

And totally unnecessary add here but a lot of credit goes to Dean Smith for the shift to PWIs - he heavily recruited NYC his entire tenure.

[construe]

Did anyone "Forget Paris"? (Ok, haven't seen it...but the main character is an NBA ref, right?)

For scenes, I nominate the one from "The Cable Guy". Jim Carrey does his crazy schtick quite well in that one (and the whole movie, really).

And after having watched the "Along Comes Polly" scene, it struck me how much Philip Seymour Hoffman seems to be trying to channel Jack Black in that one (though JB is actually pretty subdued in The Cable Guy...)