List Of Best Basketball Movies On HBO Max

Hoop Dreams is one of the top basketball movies available on HBO Max. The 1994 documentary film was co-written and directed by Steve James.

Initially planned as a short 30-minute movie, Hoop Dreams chases the lives of two high school students who are on their way to pursue their dream of becoming a basketball phenomenon.

Arthur Agee and William Gates, natives of Chicago had to overcome all the challenges while navigating the complex social dynamics. Despite their hardships,  both ultimately fall short of making it to the NBA.

Later in 2007, an unofficial sequel titled Hoop Reality was made, which delves into the events that unfolded in the ten years following Hoop Dreams.

• Release Date - October 14, 1994
• Starring - William Gates, Arthur Agee
• Running Time - 2 hours and 51 minutes
• Box Office -  $11.8 million (on $700,000 budget)

Ranked among the basketball movies to watch, Hoosiers premiered in the United States in 1986. The film currently holds a 7.4/10 rating on IMDb.

Scripted by Angelo Pizzo and directed by David Anspaugh, the sports drama starred two-time Academy Award winner Gene Hackman in the lead role.

The story follows Hackman's character Norman Dale who arrives in the small village of Hickory, Indiana in the year 1951. He serves as the head coach of the town's high school basketball team ultimately guiding them to the state championship.

• Release Date - November 14, 1986
• Starring - Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey, Dennis Hopper
• Running Time - 1 hour and 55 minutes
• Box Office -  $28.6 million (on $6 million budget)

Finding Forrester is a 2000 classic that ranks at the top of the list of good basketball movies. It has a certified fresh score of 74 % on Rotten Tomatoes.

The film featured a star cast of Sean Connery, Anna Paquin, Rob Brown and F. Murray Abraham. Although the story does not primarily revolve around basketball, the game plays a crucial role in the movie. 

Jamal Wallace, played by Rob is a rising high school basketball player who also has a passion for writing. Though all his teachers and coaches want him to continue his basketball career, Wallace's interest in the game slowly fades away.

• Release Date - December 22, 2000
• Starring - Sean Connery, Rob Brown, F. Murray Abraham, Anna Paquin, 
• Running Time - 2 hours and 16 minutes
• Box Office -  $80 million (on $43 million budget)

The Way Back is a 2020 sports drama movie from Warner Bros. Pictures. It follows the story of a former high school basketball star Jack Cunningham.

Despite being the face of the movie, Oscar-winning actor Ben Affleck could not save it from tanking at the box office. 'Finding The Way Back' made just $15.5 million, which fell short of covering its $25 million budget, resulting in a loss of $10 million.

The film is a story of redemption, as Cunningham learns to overcome his demons and find a new purpose in life.

• Release Date - March 6, 2020
• Starring - Ben Affleck, Michaela Watkins, Al Madrigal, Janina Gavankar
• Running Time - 1 hour and 48 minutes
• Box Office -  $15.5 million (on $25 million budget)

Space Jam is one of the highest grossing basketball movies which grossed $250.2 million worldwide. The film starred Michael Jordan who was at the peak of his career at that time.

Helmed by the legendary director Joe Pytka, the movie dictates a narrative of the fictional version of MJ. 

Warner Bros. Animation made its debut with the movie where Jordan comes out of retirement to help the Looney Tunes win a basketball game against aliens who want to make them part of their amusement park.

• Release Date - November 10, 1996
• Starring - Michael Jordan, Billy West, Theresa Randle, Danny DeVito
• Running Time - 1 hour and 28 minutes
• Box Office -  $250.2 million (on $80 million budget)

Semi Pro ranks among the top comedic movies about basketball which was released in February 2008. The film failed to make an impact at the box office.

Will Farrell leads the star-studded cast, including Woody Harrelson, Maura Tierney, and Will Arnett in the prominent roles.

The movie timeline takes you back to 1976 when the American Basketball Association (ABA) was about to end. The story is about a fictional ABA franchise trying hard to stay in the league when it joined forces with the NBA.

• Release Date - February 19, 2008
• Starring - Will Farrell, Woody Harrelson, Will Arnett, Maura Tierney
• Running Time - 1 hour and 32 minutes
• Box Office -  $43.9 million (on $55 million budget)

Boogie is a must watch basketball movie which can be streamed on HBO Max. The 2021 sports movie has a runtime of an hour and a half.

Boogie is a story about a young Asian American who loves basketball and wants to make it to the NBA. But he also has to deal with his parents, who have different ideas about his future.

The film garnered mixed reviews and earned a total of $4.2 million at the box office.

• Release Date - March 5, 2021
• Starring - Taylor Takahashi, Taylour Paige, Pop Smoke
• Running Time - 1 hour and 29 minutes
• Box Office -  $4.2 million

Space Jam: A New Legacy has the lowest rating among all basketball movies. The Lebron James star film has a 25% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and 4.5 on IMDb.

A sequel to the 1996 Space Jam, the 2021 edition brings back all the cartoons from Looney Tunes in an epic adventure ride. The vibrancy and fun factor save the movie despite its low box office numbers.

Though the new Space Jam movie is not considered one of the best sports movies, it certainly does not bore you while watching.

• Release Date - July 2021
• Starring - LeBron James, Don Cheadle, Zendaya, Khris Davis, Sonequa Martin-Green
• Running Time - 1 hour and 55 minutes
• Box Office -  $163.7 million (on $150 million budget)