Basketball is a fast-paced, exciting game to watch, but so often the best basketball stories are the ones you don’t see on the court. They are the stories of sacrifice, heartbreak and injury. They are the stories of triumph and disaster, and about the incredible journeys so many athletes take to get to where they are today.
That’s why basketball documentaries have been growing in popularity in recent years, with more and more hitting our screens, including the 2022 release of ‘The Redeem Team’, starring and exec produced by the LA Lakers LeBron James.
The 38-year-old forward will also see a movie of his early life released next year, however, according to the latest online betting, the four-time MVP and all-time leading scorer in NBA history, won’t be making a documentary about this season’s Lakers team any time soon as they slip down the list of championship contenders. Meanwhile, check out our guide to the best basketball documentaries available right now:
Untold Malice at the Palace
Year: 2021
Director: Floyd Russ
During a game between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons on November 19, 2004, one of the biggest brawls in American sports history took place, with fans and players involved in altercations that shocked America.
Featuring never-before-seen footage and exclusive interviews with the players and fans involved, ‘Untold Malice at the Palace’ looks back at this scar on the NBA and discovers the truth behind it all. Ron Artest, Jermaine O’Neal, Stephen Jackson, Reggie Miller, Ben Wallace and the Pacers president, Donnie Walsh, open up on what really happened on the night that changed the shape of basketball as we know it.
During a recent interview about the release of the film, former Pacer, Jermaine O’Neal said: “The first time I saw his (Ron Artest) side of the story was the rough cut, OK? And it was just like, Wow. All this makes sense now.”
More Than a Game
Year: 2008
Director: Kristopher Belman
This fascinating film chronicles the early career of NBA legend LeBron James and his four high school teammates at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. The “Fab Five’s” seven-year journey takes them from a broken-down inner-city gym to within touching distance of a national high school championship.
But star man LeBron’s celebrity threatens to tear the team apart and destroy everything they have worked so hard for. Featuring in-depth interviews, rare news footage and never-before-seen home videos, ‘More Than A Game’ is a story about friendship, growing up and loyalty.
Shut Up and Dribble
Year: 2018
Director: Gotham Chopra
This three-part documentary takes a look at the changing role of NBA athletes and examines the increasing social and political role NBA players are having in society.
The series examines the modern history of the NBA, and how it has allowed its top athletes to become not just basketball players, but cultural icons with a voice of their own. It features exclusive interviews with famous names both on and off the court, including LeBron James, Steve Kerr, Kevin Durant, LL Cool, Jay-Z and many more.
This is an insightful, powerful and important film that takes its name from a comment by Fox News’ host Laura Ingraham. Tired of LeBron James’ giving his opinion on society and politics, she told her viewers that he needed to “shut up and dribble.”
Hoop Dreams
Year: 1994
Director: Steve James
This Oscar nominated film tells the incredible true story of two talented inner city, African American, basketball prospects, Arthur Agee and William Gates, who are given the opportunity to attend a predominantly white suburban prep school in Chicago and play for a legendary high school basketball coach, Gene Pingatore.
Filmed over a five-year period, it chronicles the boy’s journey through the competitive world of scholastic athletics, while dealing with all the pressures that come with growing up, friendships, family life and being a teenager.
What this film does better than any other basketball film, and arguably any other sports film, is show the struggle, sacrifices and work that it takes to make it all the way to the NBA. This pioneering film is considered one of the greatest works of American nonfiction cinema and its story continues to inspire to this day.
The Last Dance
Year: 2020
Director: Jason Hehir
This Netflix 10-part docu-series took the world by storm when it was released in 2020 and takes you behind the scenes of the 1998 Chicago Bulls run to the championship finals. It features never before seen footage and provides an intimate look into the mind of the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan.
Exclusive in-depth interviews from former teammates and rivals, including Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Phil Jackson and Magic Johnson, give viewers a no holds barred look at what it takes to be not only the best basketball player in the world, but also the best team.
Since the day the documentary was released on Netflix, ‘The Last Dance’ has remained one of the most popular series on the streaming channel. The film perfectly captures the highs and lows of elite basketball and is a must-watch for any sports fan.