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Basketball has been one of the most popular sports for more than a century, with a huge number of fans. Hollywood filmmakers could not ignore such a fertile topic, having shot hundreds of films on it. Today we have collected for you the top ten of the highest quality, which are considered classics of sports films.
10 “Game by someone else’s rules” (2006)
At first glance, this film seems like a classic movie story about a team of losers who, under the guidance of a new coach, begin to believe in themselves and defeat obviously stronger opponents. At second glance, the story seems exactly the same. Only one detail distinguishes it – the picture was taken on the basis of real events that took place in 1966. Then the ambitious coach actually put together an all-black basketball team that won the championship, becoming the first of its kind. Some sincerely admired the game of these guys, while others, being in the grip of the racist sentiments of those years, were almost disgusted. The players and the coach had to endure a lot to achieve the goal.
9. “Find Forrester” (2000)
Another picture that seems typical at first glance, but in fact has a much deeper meaning. This is a story about a talented black basketball player Jamal, who, in addition to sports, loves to write. Having lost a dispute to his friends, he enters someone else’s apartment at night with the aim of robbing, but having barely escaped capture, he runs away with nothing, having forgotten his bag with drafts of his stories. The owner of the apartment returns the guy his records, making his own adjustments to them. Later it turns out that this unsociable and reserved person is a Pulitzer Prize winner and a living classic who becomes Jamal’s friend and mentor.
8. “His Game” (1998)
The protagonist of this story is Jake Shuttlesworth (his role is excellently played by Denzel Washington), who is serving a sentence in prison for the murder of his wife. Despite the fact that the crime was committed through negligence, Jake’s son cannot forgive his father for the death of his mother. While he is serving time, he becomes a rising basketball star, for which all the universities of the state are literally fighting, wanting to get him on their team. The patron of one of them is the governor, who, thanks to his influence, is seeking the temporary release of Jake so that he can convince his son to join his team. Quite a common plot outline about the problems of father and son, but the plot with the murder of the mother radically changes the view of events, so the film looks in one breath.
7. “Love and Basketball” (2000)
American sports drama with a lot of romance starring Sana Latana and Omar Epps. The film tells the story of Quincy McCall (Epps) and Monica Wright (Lathan), two neighbors in Los Angeles who build their basketball careers before falling in love.
6. “Above the Ring” (1994)
The film is about a promising New York high school basketball star and his relationship with two people: one is a drug dealer and the other is a former basketball star currently working as a security guard at a high school that years ago predicted a great future for him in sports. In addition to a good plot, the picture is notable for the fact that Tupac Shakur played one of the roles here.
5. “Semiprofessional” (2008)
This is no longer a serious sports drama, but a pure comedy starring Will Ferrell and Woody Harrelson. In the US, they will decide to abolish the American Basketball Association and leave only the NBA, which can only get into 4 teams. Ferrell plays the coach of the weakest, who has no chance of survival, but thanks to motivation and perseverance (and sometimes luck helps), they manage to do the impossible.
4. “White People Can’t Jump” (1992)
This comedy is considered a classic of basketball films, and its very name has become a proverb. The plot tells about a white guy named Billy (Woody Harrelson), who, despite the color of his skin, is an excellent basketball player. He bets black street players who can’t believe a white man can play better than them. Sidney (Wesley Snipes), who also lost to him, offers to work in pairs, speaking in 2×2 tournaments. Excitement and the desire to win will eventually become disastrous, and there is no full-fledged happy ending here, which is rather atypical for the genre, but the film becomes more interesting.
3. «Just Wright» (2010)
Another tape in which basketball and love are closely intertwined, and the second is even more here. The protagonist is famous athlete Scott McKnight, who meets physiotherapist Leslie Wright, who, in turn, introduces him to her sister. It is with her that Scott begins an affair and it comes to engagement, but suddenly the basketball player gets a serious injury that frightens the bride and she leaves him. Leslie helps him recover from his injury and get back on his feet, after which her sister wants to return to Scott again, but he understands that he needs someone who was with him in difficult times.
2. “Diary of a Basketball Player” (1995)
Another story based on real events described in Jim Carroll’s autobiographical novel. At the age of 16, he was a talented basketball player and wrote good poetry, but along with his friends, he became addicted to alcohol and drugs, which slowly killed them. Only when he was in prison did he manage to overcome himself and heal, but his friends continued their fall into the abyss.
1. “Coach Carter” (2005)
Let’s finish our selection with a drama, without which not a single rating of motivating films about sports can do. This story is also based on real events, but the main reason for its success is the charisma of Samuel L. Jackson, who played the title role. His character is coach Ken Carter, who coaches a successful school team that wins victory after victory. Showing himself on the court, the guys on his team completely “score” on their studies, so Carter makes an unprecedented decision – to close the doors of the gym until every player corrects his performance. This approach is disapproved by many teachers and parents, not to mention the guys themselves, but the coach remains adamant even when the team receives 2 technical defeats. Then everyone understands that learning is the only way to get back into the game.