How my newsletter devoted to the best basketball movies of all time looked in February 2019.
I must confess that I have no plans to watch the Space Jam sequel starring LeBron James, just as I've never watched Space Jam starring Michael Jordan in full, because they are essentially movies for kids. I didn't have children yet in 1997 for the original, and my boys are too old to watch a movie with me now, so I'm hardly the target audience.
But I do want to talk basketball movies with you. With so much noise surrounding LeBron’s Space Jam, from the rough reviews to the big box-office numbers, this strikes me a perfect time to broaden the conversation and ask: What's your favorite basketball movie EVER?
I listed my top five in a February 2019 newsletter that sadly no longer exists in online form. My faves: 1. White Men Can't Jump; 2. The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh; 3. Blue Chips; 4. Hoosiers; 5. Forget Paris.
Please weigh in with your favorites. Or your Space Jam views if you can't hold back. Let’s discuss:
I have White Men Can't Jump as number one, Hossiers number twp, maybe the Basketball Diaries third, and nothing else is worth watching (though I haven't seen He Got Game, and dig Spike Lee, so that would probably crack the list; same goes for Hoop Dreams)
Click bait. We have a riveting NBA Finals going on and this is what we get? This is the kind of stuff I used to put on my blog ten years ago when I had nothing to say on any topic at all. And I was not trying to make money online.
Marc, you know a lot of stuff about basketball. Bring us what we don't know. That's your value and moneymaker.
However, I will admit that the previously filed comments seem to support your post, albeit in a shallow and non-informative way. I'll stay on my side of the opinion, though.
Just to throw it out there due to the lack of any mention so far - Uncle Drew. I know, I know, basically an ad for Pepsi and ridiculous cheese. But everyone knew that, the film knew that, the "actors" all knew it going in, and it delivers on its promise. Easy watching and a bit of a laugh
Forget Paris is would not beat Trainwreck in the tournament of comedies with a slight connection to basketball--and Lebron is surprisingly funny in Trainwreck. Glory Road is a solid slightly fictionalized true story film.
Hoosiers, Hoop Dreams and Basketball or Nothing are 1-3 and best viewed together as showing that poor rural whites, poor urban blacks and poor reservation Indians have more in common than many believe. White Men and He Got Game are 4-5.
No offense, but the single scene of the Hickory Kids reacting to the size of the championship arena and how the coach calms them is more memorable than all of Fish and Blue Chips (and White Men, but that was much more fun than Fish or Blue).
Last Chance U: Basketball. A documentary series that has the great storytelling and players who you root for and feel like you know personally by the end of the series.
I have to mention "Air Bud." Ok, it's not a particularly good movie, but wouldn't the world be a better place if golden retrievers could hoop? Talk about a box office attraction....
The Fish had an amazing basketball lineup - watched it nearly 10000 times on The Movie Channel when I was 10. Blue Chips, Semi-Pro - excellent fun in different ways. Hoosiers was a solid goosebumps movie. The Last Dance, while being a documentary, was on another planet for me, just fantastic reminiscing and footage, with tremendous first-person commentaries.
gotta have He Got game on my list. Also, don't sleep on "Fast Break" with Gabe Kaplan from a time when entertainment wasn't at our fingertips! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFITaQSXxP0
But also on my list would have to be Above The Rim, He Got Game, Celtic Pride, Semi-Pro (damn right, it's a basketball movie!)... and yes, White Men Can't Jump. Marques Johnson's cameo is unforgettable!
Space Jam is an astonishing film no matter it is for kids... I don't have kids yet, but I do enjoy that film from time to time. And also its awesome soundtrack. I got a feeling the 2nd part will be a lot worse than the Jordan -and Bill Murray- one...
And, well, White Men Can't Jump is a masterpiece.
And I remember from my childhood an entertaining film on Pistol Pete, 'The Pistol' I think it was the name of it.
Sure! Get that point, but I understand from your post that you discard the Space Jam saga because it's targeted for kids. And sure it is, and even it's maybe more of a videoclip than a proper movie. But man, what an enjoyable videoclip It is.
White Men Can't Jump! Lots of good hoops movies in America Marc, but my question to you: have you ever heard about any non-American basketball film? Thanks
Love the question but wanted to encourage not giving up on watching movies with our children. Watching and discussing classic films with my adult son is one of my great pleasures in life.
When they first hit you with a thought which hadn’t occurred to you is such a great moment. I often think of Last Crusade when Connery tells Ford he left just as he was getting interesting. So true.
I’m a longtime reader and fan, and I wish you the best of luck in your new endeavor. I’m in the same field at a vastly lower level and I know how challenging these times are.
I definitely have nostalgia for The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh. I haven't seen it since I was a kid, and maybe that's for the best! He Got Game is one of my faves.
HOOP DREAMS is an obvious one for me. Transcendent in the way it navigates youth experience in athletics and the general spiders web of recruitment/scouting culture. Probably the most historically and culturally significant basketball movie ever, and it hasn't aged a day.
I'm the opposite I think documentaries and animated movies are also in the end, movies so the distinction doesn't need to be made! (But you can make it if you want for organizational purposes)
I live in Indiana, which makes me hate “Hoosiers.” People here think it’s real, and are self-congratulatory about it. The Pacers have “Hickory” jerseys. (When the opportunity to honor Crispus Attucks and Oscar Robertson was just sitting there. ) Bobby Plump has a (bad) restaurant. It gets old very fast.
And while I agree with you about the Space Jam movies, I urge you to check out “Uncle Drew.” Obviously ot high art, but much more fun than it has any reason to be.
You are being a bit of a snob to rule out “kids movies.” The bulk of films from Pixar and Disney are fun for all ages. OTOH, ruling out the Space Jam films because they are bad is fair.
I have White Men Can't Jump as number one, Hossiers number twp, maybe the Basketball Diaries third, and nothing else is worth watching (though I haven't seen He Got Game, and dig Spike Lee, so that would probably crack the list; same goes for Hoop Dreams)
My advice for everybody: Do NOT see Space Jam 2!
LeBron can't act and it was too corny.
1) He Got Game, 2) Above the Rim, 3) Blue Chips, 4) Hoop Dreams, 5) Hoosiers
Click bait. We have a riveting NBA Finals going on and this is what we get? This is the kind of stuff I used to put on my blog ten years ago when I had nothing to say on any topic at all. And I was not trying to make money online.
Marc, you know a lot of stuff about basketball. Bring us what we don't know. That's your value and moneymaker.
However, I will admit that the previously filed comments seem to support your post, albeit in a shallow and non-informative way. I'll stay on my side of the opinion, though.
We need more love for Fast Break and while it's not in the top 5, I wanna give a shout out to Alex English and "Amazing Grace & Chuck"
1. Hoop Dreams
2. He Got Game
3. Love & Basketball
4. White Men Can’t Jump
5. Blue Chips
Just to throw it out there due to the lack of any mention so far - Uncle Drew. I know, I know, basically an ad for Pepsi and ridiculous cheese. But everyone knew that, the film knew that, the "actors" all knew it going in, and it delivers on its promise. Easy watching and a bit of a laugh
Pick just five movies is hard, I will go with: 1. Space Jam 2. Hoosiers 3. Love & Basketball 4. He got game 5. Glory Road
A top 5 sleeper that not many know about is Heaven is a Playground.
Forget Paris is would not beat Trainwreck in the tournament of comedies with a slight connection to basketball--and Lebron is surprisingly funny in Trainwreck. Glory Road is a solid slightly fictionalized true story film.
Hoosiers, Hoop Dreams and Basketball or Nothing are 1-3 and best viewed together as showing that poor rural whites, poor urban blacks and poor reservation Indians have more in common than many believe. White Men and He Got Game are 4-5.
No offense, but the single scene of the Hickory Kids reacting to the size of the championship arena and how the coach calms them is more memorable than all of Fish and Blue Chips (and White Men, but that was much more fun than Fish or Blue).
Last Chance U: Basketball. A documentary series that has the great storytelling and players who you root for and feel like you know personally by the end of the series.
It’s not a movie… but The White Shadow golfing episode is pretty solid….
I have to mention "Air Bud." Ok, it's not a particularly good movie, but wouldn't the world be a better place if golden retrievers could hoop? Talk about a box office attraction....
Fast Break. One on One. The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. Love and Basketball. Rebound: The Legend of Earl "the Goat" Manigault.
White Men Cant Jump and Coach Carter
The Fish had an amazing basketball lineup - watched it nearly 10000 times on The Movie Channel when I was 10. Blue Chips, Semi-Pro - excellent fun in different ways. Hoosiers was a solid goosebumps movie. The Last Dance, while being a documentary, was on another planet for me, just fantastic reminiscing and footage, with tremendous first-person commentaries.
The Last Dance was priceless last year at a time we all needed it. Definitely need to do a separate category on basketball docs
gotta have He Got game on my list. Also, don't sleep on "Fast Break" with Gabe Kaplan from a time when entertainment wasn't at our fingertips! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFITaQSXxP0
Love & Basketball is number one for me, Steiny.
But also on my list would have to be Above The Rim, He Got Game, Celtic Pride, Semi-Pro (damn right, it's a basketball movie!)... and yes, White Men Can't Jump. Marques Johnson's cameo is unforgettable!
Marques Johnson. EPIC
Space Jam is an astonishing film no matter it is for kids... I don't have kids yet, but I do enjoy that film from time to time. And also its awesome soundtrack. I got a feeling the 2nd part will be a lot worse than the Jordan -and Bill Murray- one...
And, well, White Men Can't Jump is a masterpiece.
And I remember from my childhood an entertaining film on Pistol Pete, 'The Pistol' I think it was the name of it.
The other reality here: There are a LOT of basketball movies. I haven't seen them all. It would be difficult to have seen them all.
Sure! Get that point, but I understand from your post that you discard the Space Jam saga because it's targeted for kids. And sure it is, and even it's maybe more of a videoclip than a proper movie. But man, what an enjoyable videoclip It is.
White Men Can't Jump! Lots of good hoops movies in America Marc, but my question to you: have you ever heard about any non-American basketball film? Thanks
Der Perfekte Wurf! (Also a documentary, though)
Love the question but wanted to encourage not giving up on watching movies with our children. Watching and discussing classic films with my adult son is one of my great pleasures in life.
Believe me, Les, I am not giving up. My sons are teenagers. EAGERLY await watching movies with them in adulthood. EAGERLY!
When they first hit you with a thought which hadn’t occurred to you is such a great moment. I often think of Last Crusade when Connery tells Ford he left just as he was getting interesting. So true.
I’m a longtime reader and fan, and I wish you the best of luck in your new endeavor. I’m in the same field at a vastly lower level and I know how challenging these times are.
White Men Can’t Jump. Definitely. Woody Harrelson was awesome in that movie.
I definitely have nostalgia for The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh. I haven't seen it since I was a kid, and maybe that's for the best! He Got Game is one of my faves.
Obviously some aspects of Fish age less than gracefully ... but still a classic.
Hoosiers. And I was pleasantly surprised by The Way Back when I saw it a couple months ago...
Forget Paris is slept on by so many people. I love that movie
Forget Paris captured the unglamorous side of NBA travel so well that I will never sleep on it.
Plus Billy Crystal and all the interactions with NBA stars of the day were just too good.
HOOP DREAMS is an obvious one for me. Transcendent in the way it navigates youth experience in athletics and the general spiders web of recruitment/scouting culture. Probably the most historically and culturally significant basketball movie ever, and it hasn't aged a day.
Hoop Dreams might be the best documentary ever made
Asking this because I don't know the right answer: Do we need a separate category for basketball documentaries?
I don't think movies & documentaries are the same thing, so I'd say yes.
I'm the opposite I think documentaries and animated movies are also in the end, movies so the distinction doesn't need to be made! (But you can make it if you want for organizational purposes)
Important question. Possibly no right answer.
I live in Indiana, which makes me hate “Hoosiers.” People here think it’s real, and are self-congratulatory about it. The Pacers have “Hickory” jerseys. (When the opportunity to honor Crispus Attucks and Oscar Robertson was just sitting there. ) Bobby Plump has a (bad) restaurant. It gets old very fast.
And while I agree with you about the Space Jam movies, I urge you to check out “Uncle Drew.” Obviously ot high art, but much more fun than it has any reason to be.
More on The Big O's high school team is indeed needed,
You are being a bit of a snob to rule out “kids movies.” The bulk of films from Pixar and Disney are fun for all ages. OTOH, ruling out the Space Jam films because they are bad is fair.
I have no jurisdiction to rule anything out. They just don't make MY list.
Klay Thompson would probably tell you it's Semi-Pro
I will try to ask him someday.
Semi-Pro is definitely a top-2 Woody Harrelson basketball movie
no Coach Carter love?
Not in my top five, but something tells me we all have a different list.