March 2020 was truly a month of madness, and not the bracket busting, fall of a Titan, rise of the underdog type of madness we all look forward to each year. Last March, for the first time in our lifetime, a global pandemic was declared and the NCAA Tournament was canceled. A year later the tournament is back, and the majority of games will be played right here in Indianapolis. Although the first round of tournament play is just a few hours away, you’re probably looking for something to keep you from going mad in the meantime. We know how you feel, so we took the time to list and rank some of our favorite basketball movies that are sure to get you pumped for tournament play. We’ve compiled a sweet list of 16 basketball movies, placed them on four different sides of the bracket and seeded them one through four. So log into your favorite streaming site or dust off those DVD players because it’s time for some movie madness.
THE EAST
Most of us have spent this last year in the house with our loved ones. With the cancellation of last year’s tournaments, we were allowed more time to spend with the little ones playing games, making meals, learning TikTok dances and watching movies. With this in mind, we dedicated the east side of the bracket to movies you can enjoy with the fam.
Number 4:
Coming in at the 4th seed is Love & Basketball. Arguably one of the greatest sports love stories of all times. This is the story of Quincy and Monica, who grow up next door to each other. Throughout the film we watch their love for the game and each other be tested from childhood to adulthood. Much like the tournament, this movie is filled with upsets and unexpected outcomes leaving you with a feeling of satisfaction in the end. Maybe not one to watch with the entire family, but one to consider for movie night with your boo.
Number 3:
Our number 3 seed, in the east, is Uncle Drew, reminding you that you are never too old to accomplish your dreams, or better yet, you’re never too young to get crossed over by a legend. This movie tells the story of a young coach, Dax, with big dreams of winning the Rucker Classic Streetball Tournament. After losing his team, he is forced to work with Uncle Drew (Kyrie Erving), and his “seasoned” friends (Shaquille O’Neal, Reggie Miller, Chris Webber and Lisa Leslie to name a few) to compete in the tournament. I will admit the movie can be a little cheesy at times, but a fun one to watch with the kids and remind them that you may not be able to get up and down the court like you used to, but you still got it!
Number 2:
Number 2, in the East, is Like Mike. Many kids have dreams of playing in the NBA when they grow up, and after finding a pair of magic sneakers, 13-year-old orphan Calvin Cambridge’s dream instantly comes true. Calvin is an underdog in every sense of the word but with the help of the sneakers he gains the ability to play like Michael Jordan and becomes an NBA superstar overnight. Every year, March Madness gives us shining moments like Donte Divincenzo’s 3 point performance with Villanova, or Kyle Guy sinking those three free throws advancing Virginia to their first ever NCAA Championship appearance, which they would later win. Something about Calvin’s sudden rise to fame in Like Mike gives off similar vibes.
Number 1:
Finally at number 1, our favorite movie from the 90s, Space Jam! Who doesn’t love the idea of Michael Jordan coming out of retirement to team up with Bugs Bunny and friends to save the day! Honestly, the plot is completely ridiculous, but for some reason it just works. This is not only a beloved movie from my childhood, but after watching the Last Dance 30 for 30, this movie hits a little different. With Space Jam 2 projected to be released this summer, we’re sure to see a heavy resurgence of the Jordan vs Lebron debate on Twitter. One might say, the better question is who’s the better recruiter. Is it 1996 Bugs Bunny or this new one we will see in Space Jam 2.
THE SOUTH
Can you have a legendary team without a legendary coach? What would Duke basketball be without Coach K, Tennessee without Pat Summitt, Michigan State without Izzo, or UCon without Geno Auriemma? Players come and go, but it is the coach that keeps the program going. With this in mind we dedicated the South side of the bracket to movies about coaches.
Number 4:
Up first at the 4th seed we have Glory Road. Josh Lucas stars as Texas Westen’s Hall of Fame Head Coach Don Haskins. Glory Road tells the story of Texas Western’s historic 1966 season where the team made NCAA history, being the first team to win a NCAA Championship with an all-black starting lineup. The NCAA makes history again this year. Due to the pandemic, this will be the first time the tournament will be played in one place, with the majority of games taking place in Indianapolis, and for the first time players, coaches and fans will have March Madness masks and hand sanitizers to take home as tournament souvenirs.
Number 3:
Take an undisciplined, back talking, high school boys basketball team and a coach that takes no nonsense and you get our next movie on the list. At the number 3 seed we have Coach Carter. Samuel Jackson stars as Richmond High School’s Head Coach Ken Carter. The movie tells the story of Carter’s return to his alma mater to coach a group of undisciplined inner city athletes to victory. I’m sure every athlete will tell you that conditioning is their least favorite part of the season, and if you’re not sure why, this movie should clear things up. More than that, this movie is a testament of how hard work pays off. We see the team go from losing every game to a championship run. We see a group of young men who were not going to graduate, work to get their grades up and earn multiple scholarships. It’s coaches like Carter who remind us that basketball is not just about winning and losing but giving you the discipline to be successful in life.
Number 2:
Before car insurance commercials and Shaq-a-roni pizzas, NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal was bitten by the acting bug in 1994 in this next movie on our list. No, not Shazam! The number 2 seed for the South side of the bracket is Blue Chips. If you could buy success would you? This movie explores this question from a coach’s perspective. Nick Nolte plays head coach Pete Bell whose job at Western University is on the line due to the decline of the program’s success. After another failed season Bell looks to recruit the country’s number one prospects or the “blue chips”, played by Shaq, Penny Hardaway, and Matt Nover (of IU fame) to name a few. Bell quickly realizes to get them to play on his team it’s going to take more than a beautiful campus and hard working program. We all know bribing and paying players is wrong but it happens, and for some schools it has cost them their NCAA Championship Title. Although the basketball played in this movie is superior to the acting, the overall story is a nice attempt to answer the question, “ What were you thinking?” when it comes to coaching scandals.
Number 1:
Finally, the Number 1 seed in our coaches side of the bracket, and I’m sure you’ve guessed it by now, is Hoosiers. With several of the tournament games being played at Hinkle Fieldhouse, it’s the obvious choice. Hoosiers is the story of Norman Dale, played by Gene Hackman, who after failing as a college coach, gets a shot at redemption when he lands a position coaching at Hickory High School in rural Indiana. It takes the team and the small town some time to get used to Dale’s passionate way of coaching but after a few ups and downs the small team gets a shot at winning a state title.
THE WEST
They say history is the best teacher, but it is an even better storyteller. Some of the best sports stories are not the ones that we see in the movies. They are those “I remember when” moments that we see play out in front of us. It is for this reason we dedicate the West side of the bracket to Basketball Documentaries.
Number 4:
At the Number 4 seed we have the Last Dance 30 for 30. The Last Dance 30 for 30 is undoubtedly one of the best sports documentaries of all time and holds a special place in most of our hearts. Premiering during the height of the pandemic it gave us something positive to look forward to each week when good news was hard to find. The ten-part docuseries gave us a glimpse into the life, mind, and career of Michael Jordan, one of the greatest athletes of all times. Some might say that this documentary should be a number one seed and could win it all, but much like the ‘96 Bulls Team it is almost unfair to have it go up against any of the other documentaries listed. I mean it is a ten-part docuseries!
Number 3:
Bald heads, baggie shorts, black shoes, and black socks. These may not sound significant in this day and age but for five freshmen at the University of Michigan this simple fashion choice changed the game forever. In the Number 3 seed on the West side of the bracket is the Fab 5 30 for 30. The Fab 5 documentary tells the story of ‘91 University of Michigan Basketball freshman recruits Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson. Before Migos, these five freshmen defined what it meant to “do it for the culture” by single handedly changing the style of basketball, extending the length of shorts, and making bald heads and black socks cool. More importantly this documentary explores the rise and fall of arguably one of the greatest recruiting classes in collegiate history. This documentary allows you to take the “time out” to relive, or in my case experience, one of the greatest heart breaking moments in NCAA tournament history.
Number 2:
The New York Yankees, the New England Patriots, and the Duke Blue Devils. What do these teams have in common? You either love them or you hate them. And when it comes to Duke Basketball, the only thing that fans hate more than the program itself, is Christian Laettner. For this reason, the I Hate Christian Laettner 30 for 30 is our number 2 seed. Arguably one of the greatest players in NCAA history, the documentary walks through Laettner’s early life, career at Duke and the moments that made us all say, “I Hate Christian Laettner.” The documentary does a nice job of humanizing the player we have all grown to hate, while allowing us to relive some of those buzzer beater moments from the 90’s that define March Madness.
Number 1:
Choosing the number 1 seed for this side of the bracket was the hardest by far. So many great sports documentaries were in the running, but we had the presence of mind to choose one that hits close to home. Finishing out the West side of the bracket, we have the Winning Time 30 for 30. Each year the tournament brings us clutch moments but none have come close to Reggie Miller’s historic 8 points in 9 seconds. The Winning Time documentary tells the story of the rivalry between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks while highlighting the life and career of NBA Hall Of Famer Reggie Miller. Maybe there was a little bias in this choice, being a Hoosier and all, but it’s hard to find an on-court performance that comes close to this one.
THE MIDWEST
Finally we dedicate the south side of the bracket to the classics. You know those movies that just take you back in time? The ones that make you ask, “What do yall know about this?” when you catch it on tv. With this in mind we wanted to dedicate this side of the bracket to all of the oldies but goodies.
Number 4:
At the number 4 seed we have White Men Can’t Jump. Not too much of an oldie, but definitely a goodie, the movie is about basketball hustler Billy Hoyle, played by Woody Harrelson, using the fact that he looks like an uncoordinated white guy to scam players out of their money. After pulling his hustle on Sidney Deane, played by Wesley Snipes, the two team up to run a new scam on players all over the Los Angeles area. It’s hard to believe that this movie premiered 27 years ago, and with the recent return of 90s fashion, the shoes, hats and clothes can be found in pickup games today.
Number 3:
For the next movie on our list we get to take a trip back to the 70’s. At the Number 3 seed we have Fast Break. Premiering in 1979, Fast Break follows deli shop owner and basketball fanatic David Greene, played by Gabe Kaplan, who dreams of becoming a coach one day. Greene accepts a job at Cadwalader University and is forced to leave his comfortable life and deli shop in Brooklyn New York to follow his dream of being a college coach in Nevada. Working with the most unlikely team lead by Leroy “Hustler” Monroe, played by Bernard King, Greene works to overcome obstacles on and off the court to make his dream a reality.
Number 2:
Next we have Cornbread, Earl and Me. Definitely a classic in every sense of the word, Jamaal Wilkes stars as Nathaniel Hamilton, a.k.a Cornbread, who is the first person in his neighborhood to go to college on a full ride basketball scholarship. Laurence Fishburne makes his acting debut as Wilford Robinson, the younger cousin of Cornbread and best friend to Earl Carter played by Tierre Turner. Although this movie doesn’t give you the happy ending that we often desire, Cornbread Earl and Me is a cinematic portrait of an unfortunate narrative that many inner city communities know all too well.
Number 1:
For this next movie and final spot on the list we’re going to take it way back. So grab your bell bottoms, 8 tracks and afro pick. At the number 1 seed in the Midwest, is The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. Dr. J stars as Moses Guthrie in this 1979 disco film. After another losing season the Pittsburgh Pythons are the laughing stock of the town. In desperate need of help the team turns to a local astrologist who predicts that in order for the team to be successful all the players must be born under the astrological sign Pisces. The team is reborn as the Pittsburgh Pisces and through hard work and a little hijinks the team gets a shot at winning a championship title.
And there you have it! Our Sweet 16 list of movies to get you ready for tournament play. Now we want to hear from you, What movies are on your bracket? What movie do you think would win it all based on our list? Be sure to check out our social media and let your voice be heard!
