11 Great Basketball Movies And Where To Stream Or Rent Them Online

[AlphaKing]

 

Over the years, there have been dozens upon dozens of basketball movies that cover all sides of the court. You have your inspirational feel-good stories about the underdog team lacking in star power, the tales of redemption and new beginnings of former players, and then you have wacky sports comedies that defy logic and reason. But with as many streaming services and places to rent movies as there are teams in the NBA, finding your favorite basketball movie is no easy task.

 

Well, that's where I come in with this curated list of some of the best basketball movies and where you can find them to stream and rent. Below are 11 great movies that feature stories both on and off the court. So lace up your shoes, put on your sweatband, and get ready for some of the best basketball movies out there.

Hoosiers (1986)

Making a list of the best basketball movies without including Hoosiers would a criminal disservice to this Oscar-nominated sports classic about a ragtag high school basketball team who won the Indiana state championship in 1954. Starring Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper (RIP), Hoosiers has often been called your father's favorite basketball film, so if you're anything like me, you've seen bits and pieces of this iconic underdog story hundreds of times at this point. Do your dad proud and watch it again, will ya?

 

 

Stream It On Starz: Starz
Where To Rent It Online: Amazon

He Got Game (1998)

Over the course of his career, Denzel Washington has worked with director Spike Lee on four different productions, including Lee's 1998 joint He Got Game. Centered around a former convict Jack Shuttlesworth (Washington) who's trying to form a connection with his son, Jesus Shuttlesworth (Ray Allen), who aspires to reach the NBA, the film explores the tattered father-son relationship both on and off the court. Often considered one of the vintage Denzel movies, this late-90s love letter to basketball and tale of redemption is definitely one to watch when you're missing basketball.

 

Stream It On Cinemax: Cinemax
Where To Rent Online: Amazon

White Men Can't Jump (1992)

I have watched White Men Can't Jump just about as much as my dad has watched Hoosiers. There is just something about this 1992 street basketball hustle story that intrigues me nearly 30 years later. From the first time I saw Woody Harrelson take on the role of Billy Hoyle and team up with Wesley Snipes' Sidney Deane in this off-color pairing, I was hooked. Lacking the glitz, glamour, and traditional basketball courts found in most iconic basketball stories, White Men Can't Jump captures the struggles of being a down on your luck hustler just trying to make it by playing the game you love It all features some of the most athletic basketball scenes in all of cinema.