The Five Most Common Basketball Movies

In no particular order, these are the five most popular basketball movies that have been released in the last few years.

“Hoosiers”

“Hoosiers” is a 1986 film starring Gene Hackman as a small-town Indiana basketball coach leading his High School team on an improbable run to the State Championships The film, based on a true story also stars Barbara Hershey and Dennis Hopper.

“White Men Can’t Jump”

“White Men Can’t Jump” is a comedy-drama film released in 1992 and directed by Ron Shelton. The film stars Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson as streetball hustlers in Los Angeles California. The film was a commercial and critical success, grossing over $90 million against its $17 million budget.

“Space Jam”

“Space Jam” is a 1996 American live-action/animated sports comedy film directed by Joe Pytka. Starring basketball player Michael Jordan the film presents a fictionalized account of what happened when Jordan played basketball with Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes characters. The film was produced by Ivan Reitman and features additional supporting roles played by Bill Murray Wayne Knight, and Larry Scott. Despite receiving generally mixed reviews from critics, the film was a box office success, grossing over $230 million worldwide.

“He Got Game”

“He Got Game” is a 1998 American sports drama film written and directed by Spike Lee The film stars Denzel Washington as Jake Shuttlesworth, a father serving a prison sentence for killing his wife. His son, Jesus Shuttlesworth (Ray Allen), is the nation’s top college basketball prospect and is being recruited by dozens of colleges.

Jesus is undecided on which college to attend and is being pulled in different directions by his friends, family, and others with a vested interest in his future. Jake is released from prison on parole for one week so that he can convince Jesus to play for Big State, the alma mater of both Jake and Jesus’ late mother.

The film was met with mixed reviews but was a box office success, grossing $21 million against its $18 million budget.

“The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh”

“The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh” is a 1978 American Basketball musical comedy film directed by Marvin J. Chomsky. The film stars Meadowlark Lemon, imaginary players from the National Basketball Association (NBA), and actors Jane Wyman, Jonathan Winters, and Stockard Channing. The film received mixed reviews from critics but was a commercial success, grossing $8 million against its $3 million budget.

“One on One”

One on One is a 1977 film starring Robby Benson and Annette O’Toole. The film tells the story of a talented high school basketball player who is being recruited by several colleges. He eventually decides to go to the University of Kentucky The film was directed by Larry Peerce and also stars Glynnis O’Connor, Robert Stack, Harry Morgan, and Stubby Kaye.

“The Air Up There”

“The Air Up There” is a 1994 American comedy film directed by Ron Shelton and starring Kevin Bacon as Jimmy Dolan, a college basketball coach who goes to Africa in search of a tall person to join his team. The movie also features Charles Gitonga Maina as Saleh, the 7’7″ tall Kenyan tribesman who becomes the team’s center.

“Horse Feathers”

“Horse Feathers” is a 1931 Marx Brothers movie directed by Norman Z. McLeod and written by S.J. Perelman and Will B. Johnstone. It stars the Marx Brothers – Groucho, Chico, and Harpo – as well as Zeppo Marx in his final screen appearance with the act. The film is set at Huxley College, where college president Quincy Adams Wagstaff (Groucho) has recruited two ringers (Chico and Harpo) to play football against rival Darwin College. The game ends in chaos, with both teams scoring points…and the entire audience joining in on the fun!

“The Basketball Diaries”

“The Basketball Diaries” is a 1995 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Scott Kalvert and based on the 1968 memoir of the same name by writer Jim Carroll It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Lorraine Bracco, distance James Madio, and Mark Wahlberg The film depicts Carroll’s teenage years as a member of a Catholic high school basketball team in New York City during the 1960s.

“Rebound: The Legend of Earl ‘The Goat’ Manigault”

“Rebound: The Legend of Earl ‘The Goat’ Manigault” is a 1996 film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, starring Don Cheadle as the titular character. The film tells the true story of Earl Manigault, a talented but troubled Ung Basketball player from Harlem who became one of the greatest streetball players of all time. Despite his success on the court, Manigault’s life was plagued by drug addiction and poverty, and he ultimately died of a heart attack at the age of 53. “Rebound” is widely considered to be one of the best basketball movies ever made, and Cheadle’s performance earned him an NAACP Image Award nomination for Best Actor.