Best Basketball Movies On Amazon Prime To Watch In 2023

As you step into a new year filled with fresh dreams and resolutions, your passion for basketball remains unwavering. The good news is that Amazon Prime offers an extensive library of top-notch best basketball movies for streaming in 2023.

For avid basketball enthusiasts who relish watching films centered around their beloved sport, we’ve compiled a list of the finest movies available on Amazon Prime for your viewing pleasure in 2023.

If you’re eagerly seeking the crème de la crème of basketball cinema on Amazon Prime this year, you’ve landed on the ultimate guide. Explore the best basketball movies of 2023 with us and elevate your viewing experience.

He Got Game (1998)

While Denzel Washington’s character, Jack Shuttlesworth, is serving time in prison for inadvertently murdering his wife, Ray Allen’s character, Jess Shuttlesworth, is a star basketball player.

As a result of tension between the two, the state offers Jake’s son a lighter sentence and an interim release from jail in exchange for him signing the governor’s alma mater.

• Release date: May 1, 1998
• Director: Spike Lee
• Writer: Spike Lee
• Stars: Denzel Washington, Milla Jovovich, Ray Allen
• Genre: Drama, Sport
• Famous dialogue: “Aw, Man, you just like everybody else”
• Shooting Place: Chicago, North side
• Run Time: 2h 16m
• IMDb: 6.9/10

Coach Carter (2005)

Most people will probably say Coach Carter when asked what their favorite sports movie is. It is a tale of cooperation, strife, development, parenting, and rivalry. Although the basketball the characters in the film play is occasionally imperfect, that is not the purpose. Coach Carter is more than just entertaining for anyone who has ever played basketball since it brings back memories of playing on the hardwood as a child. This is the we recommend you to watch this best basket ball movie on Amazon prime in 2023.

• Release date: January 13, 2005
• Director: Thomas Carter
• Writer: Mark Schwahn, John Gatins
• Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Rick Gonzalez, Robert Ri’chard
• Genre: Drama, Sport
• Famous dialogue: “Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure”
• Shooting Place: California and Los Angeles
• Run Time: 2h 16m
• IMDb: 7.3/10

Linsanity (2013)

As a Harvard student and underdog Chinese-American player, Jeremy Lin stunned the world. Before spending one fateful game with the New York Knicks, he was transferred around to other clubs. Even Kobe Bryant is caught up in Linsanity and ends up on the losing end of it! (Watch if you’re a fan of Jeremy Lin, and after viewing this documentary, who wouldn’t be?)

• Release date: October 4, 2013
• Director: Evan Jackson Leong
• Writer: Aaron Strongoni
• Stars: Jeremy Lin, Daniel Dae Kim (voice). Candy Richardz
• Genre: Documentary, Biography and Sports
• Famous dialogue:“ This was unprecented in the 65 year history of the NBA, despite his record breaking performance Jeremy became a free agent”
• Shooting Place: NA
• Run Time: 1h 29m
• IMDb: 7.3/10

Love and Basketball (2000)

This sentimental film combines love and sport, which is a pairing that most young people find irresistible. You can find many teenagers who are motivated to challenge potential romantic partners to games of one-on-one basketball. In Love and Basketball, Relationships and basketball don’t always go together and the characters go through several bumps in the nostalgic storyline. 

• Release date: April 16, 2000 
• Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
• Writer: Gina Prince-Bythewood
• Stars: Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps, Glenndon Chatman
• Genre: Drama, Romance and Sports
• Famous dialogue: “I’ve been in love with you since I was eleven, and the shit won’t go away.”
• Shooting Place: California, Georgia, and Spain
• Run Time: 2h 4m
• IMDb: 7.2/10

White Men Can’t Jump (1992)

White Men Can’t Jump, a masterful fusion of humor and hoops, is still pretty relevant today. Wesley Snipes (Sidney Deane) and Woody Harrelson (Billy Hoyle) hold their own on the court in the basketball scenes, which are more realistic than anticipated. We also receive a generous serving of Rosie Perez’s hilariousness as a bonus. This movie, written and directed by Ron Shelton, is a fantastic escape in today’s demanding world.

• Release date:  March 27, 1992
• Director: Ron Shelton
• Writer: Ron Shelton
• Stars: Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson, Rosie Perez
• Genre: Comedy, Sports
• Famous dialogue: “You can put a cat in an oven, but that don’t make it a biscuit.”
• Shooting Place: Los Angeles
• Run Time: 1h 55m
• IMDb: 6.8/10

Blue Chips (1994)

Pete Bell, the basketball coach for the Western University Dolphins, is concerned about the way his team is playing and the lack of interest from new players. He defies the rules under stress in order to strengthen his lineup.

• Release date: February 18, 1994
• Director: William Friedkin
• Writer: Ron Shelton
• Stars: Nick Nolte, Mary McDonnell, J.T. Walsh
• Genre: Drama, Sport
• Famous dialogue: “Boys, the rules don’t make much sense. But I believe in the rules. Some of us broke them. I broke them. I can’t do this. I can’t win like this.”
• Shooting Place: Frankfort, Indiana, Chicago, New Orleans, Los Angeles
• Run Time: 1h 48m
• IMDb: 6.2/10

Like Mike (2002)

The majority of Calvin Cambridge’s time is spent playing basketball and avoiding the bullies who end up making his life unpleasant. Calvin Cambridge is a youngster who stays in an orphanage. Calvin discovers a pair of old, worn-out sneakers with MJ’s initials on them that appear to have been autographed by Michael Jordan when searching through a donation box one day.

• Release date: July 3, 2002
• Director: John Schultz
• Writers: Michael Elliot (story), Jordan Moffet (screenplay)
• Stars: Shad Moss, Jonathan Lipnicki, Morris Chestnut
• Genre: Comedy, Family and Fantasy
• Famous dialogue: “I think you should stick to basketball. You know why? You can’t rap!”
• Shooting Place:  Los Angeles, California, United States
• Run Time: 1h 39m
• IMDb: 5.3/10

The Last Dance (2020)

Although it isn’t technically a movie, this may pass for one. This multi-part docu-series explores Michael Jordan’s career, which is centered on his championships as a prominent NBA hall of famer. The tales told in this miniseries are not only legendary but also first-hand accounts of legendary events. You may watch Michael Jordan respond to incidents that are ingrained in the collective memory of all basketball fans and hear his remarks on incidents that are regarded as NBA legend.

• Release date: April 19, 2020
• Director: Jason Hehir
• Writer: Jason Hehir
• Stars: Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, Scottie Pippen
• Genre: History, Biography
• Famous dialogue: “Oh, I hated him. And that hate carries even to this day.”
• Shooting Place: Malibu, California
• Run Time: 8h 11m
• IMDb: 9.1/10

Luck of the Irish (2001)

This underappreciated gem had to be on my list. This film is not just the finest basketball movie among the few Disney Channel originals that Gen-Z and millennials watched growing up, but it is also the only one about St. Patrick’s Day. Therefore, turn on this movie and relive the wild encounter one high school student has when a leprechaun whips up some ill luck just when it’s least expected.

• Release date: March 9, 2001
• Director: Paul Hoen
• Writer: Andrew Price (story), Mark Edward Edens (teleplay)
• Stars: Ryan Merriman, Henry Gibson, Alexis Lopez
• Genre: Comedy, Adventure and Drama
• Famous dialogue: “Pre-game anxiety. Everybody gets it. I used to dream I was at the game wearing nothing but my underwear, and I was just in the band!”
• Shooting Place: The Juan Diego Catholic High School in Utah
• Run Time: 1h 26m
• IMDb: 6.1/10

Finding Forrester (2000)

A peculiar friendship forms between a young, extraordinarily talented scholar-athlete and an offbeat, reclusive novelist. They form an unexpected bond after the novelist learns that the sports performer is a great writer as well and discreetly takes him on as his apprentice. As they get to know one another and themselves better, the basketball star will eventually have to make the proper decision with the aid of his new mentor.

• Release date: December 20, 2000
• Directors: Gus Van Sant
• Writer: Mike Rich
• Stars: Sean Connery, Rob Brown, F. Murray Abraham
• Genre: Drama
• Famous dialogue: “ The key to a woman’s heart is an unexpected gift at an unexpected time.”
• Shooting Place:  Manhattan
• Run Time: 2h 16m
• IMDb: 7.3/10

One on One (2014)

Benson is the 21-year-old who portrayed Billy Joe McAllister in “Ode to Billy Joe” and committed suicide by jumping off the Tallahatchie Bridge in what are still, in my opinion, mysterious circumstances. He co-wrote “One On One,” in which he depicts a gullible high school basketball champion from Colorado who is sought after by a top university. Although he is only 5 feet 10 inches tall, the coach believes he could be useful because of his brilliant play-making.

Young Robby is welcomed into the process, which at first appears to work well (as a potential varsity star, he receives a tutor, an older alumni brother, a “job,” and a regular paycheck). Robby doesn’t, however. Although he works hard and is talented, the coach advises him to quit his scholarship because of his small-town upbringing and inability to deal with issues like uppers and lowers and flirtatious departmental secretaries.

• Release date:  May 22, 2014
• Directors: Kim Ki-duk
• Writer: Kim Ki-duk
• Stars: Ma Dong-seok, Kim Young-min, Yi-Kyeong Lee
• Genre: Crime, Drama and Thriller
• Famous dialogue: NA
• Shooting Place: NA
• Run Time: 2h 2m
• IMDb: 5.7/10

Conclusion

Amazon Prime boasts an impressive lineup of basketball films that you can enjoy alongside your family and friends. As the vast options might leave you pondering over the perfect pick for your movie night in 2023, worry not! We’ve got you covered.

Dive into our meticulously curated guide to discover the top basketball movies on Amazon Prime you shouldn’t miss in 2023. This guide is tailored to help movie buffs and basketball enthusiasts alike find their next favorite film.