Including my personal reasons why I love each movie, as well as clips and images from the movies. Sit back for a trip down memory lane, as I reflect on the great basketball movies from the 1990s.
Let me first state 2 things before going into my list. First, I was a kid of the 90s, so almost all of the movies on this list are from 1990-2000. The 90s ended up being somewhat of a golden era for sports movies. I was just so lucky to have grown up watching all those movies from that era and onward. Secondly, this is meant to be a fun, lighthearted telling of my own personal favorite basketball movies; however, this is not a list of the best movies—only my personal favorites...so don't @ me.
Everyone has their own personal favorite basketball/sports movies, and I hope you share your opinion below in the comments. I’ll include why I like each movie so much and some Youtube clips. Starting from the bottom of the list.
5. Love & Basketball (2000)
Staring: Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps, Glenndon Chatman
Why: Love & Basketball is part sports movie, part coming of age, and part romantic journey of two characters, Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps), as they both face challenges on the court and off. I remember watching the movie and thinking it was the first time I had seen a sports movie that also included a romantic love story that was actually good. I think the movie tried to appeal to both men and women, despite whether you think it achieves this goal, it's ambitious to try that with a sports movie. I’ll always have a special place in my heart (pun intended) for Love & Basketball.
4. Blue Chips (1994)
Staring: Nick Nolte, Ed O'Neill, Shaquille O'Neal, Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway
Why: Secret money payments, lying to the media, rampant corruption in college basketball, the 1994 movie, Blue Chips, tries to tackle it all, and to a certain degree, it does. However, I didn’t fall in love with the movie because it was a hard-hitting exposé on the corruption in college sports (hint the movie wasn’t that), but rather, I fell in love with the movie because of one simple reason: Shaquille O'Neal. That’s right, Shaq himself stared in this 90s sports movie, and it was so exciting to see him in a movie for the first time. Shaq would go on to star in many movies, but the first one was Blue Chips. Being a basketball fan in that decade meant you loved watching Shaq play and here was your chance to watch him star in a movie. Everybody was talking about it. Basketball's biggest young star was now taking a shot at acting. Not only did we get the Orlando Magic Shaquille O’Neal, but we also got his on the court co-star Penny Hardaway, making this movie so emblematic of the 90’s Orlando Magic.
3. White Men Can’t Jump (1992)
Staring: Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson, Rosie Perez
Why: I’m probably alone listing this movie in my top 5, and even to go so far as to put it in my top 3, while leaving out movies like Hoosier, He Got Game, and Hoop Dreams. This movie ranks so high for me primarily because of Woody Harrelson. I absolutely love Harrelson, and this was his first movie he stared in. Playing alongside a young Wesley Snipes, this comic duo kills it on the big screen. The movie was also very in touch with the culture of the time, making it a lot of fun to look back at the fashion of the early 90s. Also the movie touches on race during that era while reaming tongue in cheek. Such a classic product of its time, on and off the court, this movie makes it in my top 3.
2. The Pistol: The Birth of a Legend (1991)
Staring: Millie Perkins, Nick Benedict, Adam Guier
Why: A rather obscure one, this is the most serious movie to make my list. This movie goes largely underrated, but the legend of "Pistol” Pete Maravich is relatively well known. For those who don’t know, Pete Maravich was a quick point guard who played through the 1960s. He would go on to play for 3 NBA teams and remains the all-time leading NCAA Division I scorer with 3,667 points scored and an average of 44.2 points per game, while playing before the advent of the 3 point line. He was a flamboyant quick player, who wowed and stunned opponents with this quickness and deadly accuracy. His movie tells of his dedication to the game and all that went into becoming a basketball legend. A great watch for anyone who inspires for greatness.
1. Space Jam (1996)
Staring: Michael Jordan, Wayne Knight, Bill Murray, Larry Bird
Of course, it should almost go without saying that, being a kid from the 90s, I would say Space Jam is one of the greatest sports movies of all times. I don’t care what the critics say: Space Jam is the best. The movie was SO MUCH FUN to watch. It had it all. It really did. The combination of animation and live action was incredible, thanks to Warner Bros, making the basketball action scenes a wild ride. If you only needed one reason to see the movie: Michael Jordan. But the movie didn’t just star one of the greatest sports icons of all time, along with him you got Bill Murray and Wayne Knight, two great veteran comedic actors. The animation, Michael Jordan, and the veteran Hollywood actors all came together and somehow were all able to shine during the movie. Then, of course, it cannot go without mentioning how amazing the soundtrack was. The Space Jam Theme was legendary, while the official soundtrack album was a quintessential part of anyone’s music collection back then, especially if you were an athlete or enjoyed hip hop and RnB. Every prolific singer of those genres appeared on the soundtrack for the movie: Seal, Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, Coolio, Salt-N-Pepa, and even Jay-Z. I could go on and on about why Space Jam is such a treasure when it comes to basketball movies.
Favorite Songs
Busta Rhymes, Coolio, Ll Cool J & Method Man B Real - Hit 'em High
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