Basketball is enormously popular in the United States, with the sport boasting a massive following among all age groups. The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the highest professional level of basketball in the world. It is also one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.
The NBA is particularly appealing for punters who use stake bonus code to check their predicting ability about matches.
1- White Men Can’t Jump (1992)
White Men Can’t Jump is one of the best sports films of all time. Directed by Ron Shelton, it stars Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes in the main roles. The movie hit the screens in March 1992 and became a box office success. Made on a budget of 31 million, it ended up earning 90.8 million at the box office.
The film follows the story of two street basketball hustlers named Billy Hoyle and Sidney Deane who join forces to con others of their money on the courts of Los Angeles. The two face a lot of challenges both on and off the court.
2- Hoop Dreams (1994)
If you want a top movie about basketball, then you cannot do better than Hoop Dreams, a 1994 American documentary film directed by Steve James and produced by Frderick Marx.
Hoop Dreams recounts the stories of two young African-Americans who have the ambition to one day play in the NBA. It chronicles their many struggles and challenges both on and off the court along the way. To tell the stories of the two African-Americans, the creators have used intimate interviews and raw footage, making the film very poignant and powerful.
The 1994 sports film was originally intended to be a 30-minute short film but it eventually became a film over 170 minutes long. The movie also won the Audience Award for Best Documentary as well as numerous other awards in the 1994 season. It was received very well by the critics who praised its compelling storytelling, authenticity and emotional depth. The movie also grossed over $11 million worldwide.
3- Hoosiers (1986)
Any basketball fan is sure to recommend the ‘Hoosiers’ movie as it is that good. The film, directed by David Anspaugh and written by Angelo Pizzo, first came out in 1986 and grossed an incredible $28.6 million on just a $6 million budget.
Hoosiers stars Norman Dale, Barbara Hershey and Dennis Hopper in the lead roles. It is based on the true story of a small-town Indiana team that surprised everyone in 1954 when they reached the state finals.
Norman Dale arrives in Hickory in 1951 and gets appointed as the civics and history teacher at the high school as well as the head basketball coach. The townspeople are frustrated when Jimmy Chitwood, one of the best basketball players, quits playing after the death of the previous coach. Dale is warned by another fellow teacher not to recruit Jimmy as she wants him to concentrate on his academics for his better future.
4- Finding Forrester (2000)
This film is written by Mike Rich and directed by Gus Van Sant, who also directed the famous Good Will Hunting movie. It is not based on a true story but many have compared the main writer character to the real-life writer J.D. Salinger. The movie was made on a budget of $43 million but grossed $80 million at the box office.
In Finding Forrester, a black teenage student Jamal Wallace is invited to attend a prestigious private high school after someone notices his huge talent. He ends up becoming friends with a writer named William Forrester, who lives alone in an apartment and doesn’t want anyone to disturb him. Through Forrester, Jamal polishes his writing skills and also comes to terms with his identity. The teenager is also very good at basketball and plays for his school team.
The movie was also received well by the critics who praised its ‘solid and honest feel’.
5- Love and Basketball (2000)
Love and Basketball is among the best films about basketball that was written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. It is produced by Spike Lee and Sam Kit, starring Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps in the lead roles.
The movie follows the lives of Quincy McCall and Monica Wright who are next-door neighbors and want to pursue a career in basketball, just like all the most famous footballers in football blog. Things become more interesting when the two main characters start falling for each other.
Love and Basketball hit the screens in April 2000 in the United States and did well at the box office, grossing $27.7 million on a budget of $14-20 million. The main themes of the film are love, friendship and ambition. It lets us experience the emotional journey of two individuals who are striving to find a balance between their personal and professional aspirations.