Basketball is a sport ingrained with a lot of culture and, as such, has a lot of deep ties to music, from players like Damian Lillard and Shaquille O’Neal, who have made their own music while dominating on the court, to rappers like Drake and Jay-Z sitting courtside at NBA games. Music and basketball will always have a relationship. This extends into films about the game where music is pivotal, as needle drops provide backdrops to the exciting action of the sport on the big screen. Here are some of the best musical moments in basketball films.
Hustle
Adam Sandler
Queen Latifah
Juancho Hernangómez
Anthony Edwards
Kenny Smith
Ben Foster
Robert Duvall
Moritz Wagner
Jordan Hull
María Botto
Ainhoa Pillet
Jaleel White
Netflix’s 2022 Hustle, starring Adam Sandler and NBA player Juancho Hernangomez, was a hit for basketball fans and casual viewers alike. It’s an entertaining film that follows a respected NBA scout, Stanley Beren (Sandler), at a low point of his career as he tries to score big and get back on top. He does this by bringing an unknown European phenom, Bo Cruz (Hernangomez), to the States to train him for the upcoming NBA draft. It’s a great feel-good film as the audience can enjoy watching these two unlikely partners work and grow together. The development of the two can be seen in the movie during a training montage, which includes the song “Runnin’” by artist David Dallas—a track that perfectly fits the tone of the scene and the movie at large.
Check out the full Hustle soundtrack here.
Love & Basketball
Sanaa Lathan
Omar Epps
Chris Warren
Kyla Pratt
Alfre Woodard
Regina Hall
Glenndon Chatman
Jess Willard
Naykia Harris
Harry Lennix
Debbi Morgan
Dennis Haysbert
Love & Basketball is often regarded as one of the greatest sports movies of all time beyond basketball. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, the movie focuses on two basketball hopefuls, Monica (played by Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps), who fall for each other but run into problems. It is a film that shows its athletic main characters as more than athletes but as people. People with very real feelings, and those feelings are the main focus of the plot, as their love for the game they share conflicts with the love they have for each other. These shared loves culminate beautifully in a scene where the two play each other in a game of 1 on 1 for the heart. It’s a fantastic scene that is scored gracefully by the track “Fool of Me” by artist Meshell Ndegeocello.
White Men Can’t Jump
Wesley Snipes
Woody Harrelson
Rosie Perez
Tyra Ferrell
Cylk Cozart
Kadeem Hardison
Ernest Harden Jr.
John Marshall Jones
Marques Johnson
David Roberson
Kevin Benton
Nigel Miguel
Directed by Ron Shelton, White Men Can’t Jump is a classic sports comedy starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. It follows Billy Hoyle (Harrelson) as a basketball hustler who banks on being underestimated due to his race and uses the overlooking of his skills to his advantage and financial gain. The two become partners in the con game when he tries to pull his scheme on Sidney Deane (Snipes). It’s a hilarious film that has stood the test of time as a cultural classic. A part of that classic status comes from its use of many iconic tracks as needle drops throughout its run time. Perhaps its most iconic song is the track “Superbad” by the legendary James Brown, which plays during the scene where Billy and Sidney play in the final tournament of the film.
Check out the full White Men Can't Jump soundtrack here.
Space Jam
Michael Jordan
Wayne Knight
Theresa Randle
Manner Washington
Eric Gordon
Penny Bae Bridges
Brandon Hammond
Larry Bird
Bill Murray
Thom Barry
Charles Barkley
Patrick Ewing
Perhaps the most iconic basketball movie of all time. Space Jam is the legendary collaboration between Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes as they team up to defeat the treacherous and talent-stealing Monstars. It's a fun film that has been recognized and remembered by generations of fans and will continue to for years to come. A part of what makes the film so iconic is its use of music. The movie contains many classic tracks, including the opening montage of MJ highlights, scored by the film's theme song, “Space Jam,” by Quad City DJs. Then, later in the movie, in a great moment after Jordan agrees to join the Tunes and gets back into the gym. The song “Fly Like an Eagle” by Seal (as a cover of the Steve Miller Band original) plays as the backdrop to his hoop genius.
Check out the full Space Jam soundtrack here.
Like Mike
Shad Moss
Morris Chestnut
Jonathan Lipnicki
Brenda Song
Jesse Plemons
Julius Ritter
Crispin Glover
Anne Meara
Robert Forster
Eugene Levy
Roger W. Morrissey
Timon Kyle Durrett
Like Mike, directed by John Schultz and starring a young Bow-Wow and Jesse Plemons, is another film that has reached icon status for most basketball fans. It is the entertaining story of 14-year-old Calvin Cambridge (Bow-Wow) and his journey to NBA superstardom after he dons a pair of mysterious sneakers with the initials M.J. The film also centers on the relationship between Calvin and one of his older teammates, Tracy Reynolds (Played by Morris Chestnut), who takes on a fatherly role for Calvin. Their relationship is heartfelt, and one of the first moments we see its endearing nature start to show is in the scene that includes DMX’s track “Party Up,” where Reynolds blasts the song as he and Calvin ride together in his car like a father-son duo would.
Check out the full Like Mike soundtrack here.
The Basketball Diaries
Leonardo DiCaprio
Mark Wahlberg
Lorraine Bracco
Michael Imperioli
Ernie Hudson
Juliette Lewis
James Madio
Bruno Kirby
Patrick McGaw
Manny Alfaro
Toby Huss
Cynthia Daniel
The Basketball Diaries is a much different film tonally than many in the genre. It is a basketball film, but the main focus falls on Jim Carroll (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) as he succumbs to the pressure of being a top player and, in his stress, turns to heroin as a way to cope. As one might expect, this coping soon turns into an addiction, and Carroll’s whole career as a basketball player is upended as he instead is forced to wrestle himself from the arms of addiction. It’s a good, intensely emotional film that shows addiction for how brutal it is. An excellent example of this depiction comes in the scene where Carroll finds himself playing in the middle of a basketball game completely high. This scene is scored by The Doors' “Riders on the Storm,” which hammers its impact home as an actual rock bottom point for the character.
Check out the full The Basketball Diaries soundtrack here.
Above the Rim
Duane Martin
Tupac Shakur
Bernie Mac
Marlon Wayans
Leon
Wood Harris
Michael Rispoli
David Bailey
Tonya Pinkins
Byron Minns
Shawn Michael Howard
Henry Simmons
Above the Rim, directed by Jeff Pollack, is a seminal basketball film. It stars Duane Martin and Tupac Shakur, and it follows the story of basketball star Kyle Lee Watson (Martin) and his relationship with the drug dealer Birdie (Tupac), who works as a security guard at Kyle’s high school. It’s a strong film with a lot of solid music. Not a surprise when the star of your film is one of the greatest rappers of all time. Rightfully so, the film contains Tupac’s own music, most pointedly the track “Holler If Ya’ Hear Me,” which plays during a big game in the film where Birdie finally sees his older brother Shep play basketball.
The Last Dance
Michael Jordan
Scottie Pippen
Dennis Rodman
Steve Kerr
Deloris Jordan
The Last Dance is one of the greatest docuseries ever made and chronicles the dynasty of the 1990s Chicago Bulls and their dominance with Michael Jordan at the helm. It’s an amazing series filled with pieces of both 90s and black culture that come together to create an entertaining and informative viewing experience. That strong cultural impact can be felt mainly due to the music used throughout the ten episodes of the show. The tracks include classics such as “Still Not a Player” by Big Pun and “If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)” by Nas and Lauryn Hill in episode 5, plus many, many more.
Check out the full The Last Dance soundtrack here.