10 Best Basketball Documentaries
March Madness is March Sadness this year. The NCAA Women’s and Men’s Basketball tournaments are canceled. These tournaments have provided the highlights of my March since I was a little girl. Rural living left my family without access to cable, so my parents bought a satellite around the time I fell in love with basketball. This opened up the NCAA tournament world to me. My parents allowed me to stay up well past my bedtime to watch the West Coast games and I watched every minute of those games. As a college student, I purchased cable only during March so I could watch the games.
However, this year is different, COVID-19 gave us canceled tournaments and empty brackets. There will be no last-second, game-winning shots, no tears, no excitement, no fandamonium. Nothing.
So, since I’m recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon surgery, and can’t play basketball, I spent time compiling a list of my favorite basketball documentaries. Some are new, some old, but all feature the love of the game, inspiration, and hope.
What documentaries do you recommend watching?
Q BAll (2020)
| Supported by the Golden State Warriors NBA franchise, a group of men incarcerated at San Quinton participate in the prison’s basketball program. Q Ball centers the sport but also intertwines storytelling from some of the inmates. |
Life Without Basketball (2019)
| Life Without Basketball follows star, Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir, on her journey from high school record-breaker to barrier breaker. In the film, the star becomes the teacher and activist. |
The Drew (2015)
| The Drew tells the story of the rise of one of the best recreational basketball leagues in the US. Greats such as Lebron, Kobe, James Harden, and Kevin Durant have played on the Drew League’s court. The Drew: No Excuse Just Produce. |
More Than a Game (2008)
| More Than a Game follows Lebron James and 4 of his high school classmates from their time as young basketball players to Lebron’s rise to fame and NBA stardom. |
Hoop Dreams (1994)
| Hoop Dreams is a classic documentary that follows two basketball players for five years as they chase their basketball dreams. |
The Carter Effect (2017)
| As the title implies, The Carter Effect shows the cultural impact Vince Carter had on basketball in Canada. |
Iverson (2014)
| From Hampton, VA to the NBA, Iverson tells the story of his journey from a tenacious young man to one of the best players to ever play the game. |
On the Shoulders of Giants (2011)
| Basketball, jazz, history, and perseverance are combined in One the Shoulders of Giants. Go back in time and find inspiration with this film narrated by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. |
Benji (2012)
| Benji: The True Story of a Dream Cut Short follows the life and ultimate murder of one of the best high school basketball players from Chicago. |
Without Bias (2009)
| I was 5 when Len Bias died. I vowed then to never do drugs because of his tragic death. Without Bias tells his story. |
