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There’s been a surge in new basketball movies in 2023, hitting theaters and streaming services. So this is the post where I’m keeping up on the latest 2023 basketball movie releases.
If there’s one thing I’m almost as obsessed with as basketball, it’s film. Docs, features, dramas, comedies, you name it. I’ll even crush through some Disney Originals in a pinch. As these basketball flicks hit the public, I’m consuming them as soon as possible and sharing my honest opinions as a Dad, as a movie lover, and as a basketball fan.
And some of these I legitimately cannot wait to see. We’re slated to get an origin story on the Air Jordan starring Matt Damon and directed by Ben Affleck. And in April we’re supposed to finally see the release of a biopic (20 years in the making) about Nat Clifton, the first black player to sign into the NBA.
Let’s get to it…
Air – Released April, 5th 2023
Depending on what poster you see, the subtitle of this film would appear to be either “Courting a Legend” or “A Story of Greatness”. So this movie is about a legend, or greatness, or something.
And you might think that the ‘Legend’ or ‘Greatness’ in question might be Michael Jordan. And you would be wrong.
No, the greatness is this guy named Sonny Vaccaro, played by GWH himself Matt Damon.
This film then, is the story of a little fledgling shoe company courting endorsement from what would be 1984’s #3 draft pick. The deal would end up sowing the seeds for the greatest shoe line in history.
I initially encountered this film from the perspective of not even caring if it would suck. It’s an important story that revolves around basketball. The cast is impressive. Directed by Ben Affleck, featuring Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, Marlon Wayans, and a certain baker, NPR regular and stand-up comic known as Tom Papa.
I mean, come on, take my money. Honestly, this one had me at Tom Papa.
But the movie is fantastic, a serious contender for all time greatest basketball movies. It’s hot out the gates with a very respectable 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. I’d put it somewhere between He got Game and Hoosiers at this point. Don’t miss it.
BTW, if you want a little more about Air, it’s one of the few films I’ve covered in a solo review.
Warrior Strong – Released September, 29th 2023
An Andrew dice Clay vehicle in 2023 is… Notable.
Dice plays a High School basketball coach bumping heads with an aspiring pro returned to help out his High School alma mater’s basketball team in a bid to repair his image.
A Canadian film, only recently released to streaming platforms, this one doesn’t have enough reviews anywhere to draw any deep conclusions.
Sweetwater – Theaters April, 14th
Going into 1950, change was on the horizon. Jackie Robinson had ended segregation in professional baseball just 3 years earlier. College basketball had essentially followed suit. It was time for the NBA to catch up.
That year, Earl Lloyd, Chuck Cooper and Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton would become the first 3 African-Americans to play in the NBA. Clifton was the first to officially sign.
This biopic tells the story. Abe Saperstein, founder and then coach and owner of the Harlem Globetrotters, and Ned Irish, founder and president of the Knicks would ultimately collude to jump Clifton, who had been playing with the Globetrotters for a couple of seasons, over to the Knicks.
I’m a sucker for historical drama, and NBA history in general, so this story is right up my alley.
The Legend of the 81-Point Game – Theaters March, 14th 2023
If you’re a big fan of Kobe, you should probably check this out. Perhaps surprisingly, I am not a big fan of Kobe, and I will not be checking this out.
But it seems pretty straightforward to me, a collection of interviews with hoops pundits, discussing the legendary 81-point game.
Champions – Theaters March, 10th
Man, I dunno where to start…
This is a goofy venture from 1 half of the Farrelly brothers, starring Woody Harrelson. I am, admittedly, a fan of the Farrelly legacy: Kingpin, There’s Something About Mary, Dumb and Dumber, etc.
Woody Harrelson plays something of a misanthropic minor-league basketball coach. In classic sports-film style, he is ordered by the court to manage a team of players with disabilities.
Part of the promotional swing was an appearance by Bobby Farrelly on WTF! with Marc Maron. I was already into the idea of a new basketball movie honestly, but the interview got me more jazzed to catch this movie. It also convinced me to put on Kingpin, which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
So far, if you go by RottenTomatoes, Champions is a fan favorite. the critics aren’t loving it, but as of this writing it holds a 95% audience score. Sometimes the critics are wrong. It makes my list of the best basketball comedies of all time.
Rebound – Released in Korean Theaters April, 5th
I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to watch this, but it’s promising. If you’re not aware, Korean cinema is fantastic. I don’t know if that translates to this true drama surrounding a run at the 2012 KBA National Tournament.
I look forward to seeing this released with subtitles to US markets.
Shooting Stars – Streaming on Peacock
Adapted from the biographical telling of LeBron’s High School basketball team by the same name. This one is kinda interesting. You have to be a LeBron fan. Of course, it’s tough to be into basketball and not have at least a little interest in one of the greatest hoopers of all time.
Chang Can Dunk – Streaming on Disney+
Brand new in 2023, Chang is a 5’8″ 16 year old with basketball dreams. Chang sets a wager with a young rival that within 10 weeks he will lay down a dunk on a full height rim.
I was invested. The basketball references and action were clicking, the story was functional. This was looking like it was working out to be one of the best basketball movies on Disney Plus. And then, around the half way point, the movie took a massive dump.
Chang Can Dunk is pretty easily one of my favorite Disney Originals of all time, second probably to Johnny Tsunami, but it could have taken the top spot with some very basic improvements. Really just one improvement. Like, don’t destroy a character that you’ve developed if you can’t build them back up.
You gotta expect some character degradation in what basically is a made-for-tv movie, fine. But we straight up destroy Chang, then instead of building him back up, we just kinda watch everyone around him slowly decide that it’s okay that he sucks.
The message then, delivers something like, “it’s okay to make very bad choices”. And I can see that being important in an age where kids are encouraged to engage with their choices on social media every day of their lives. But it doesn’t quite land for me.
Still, a good story, totally watchable. And the plot mostly survives. And basketball plays a strong supporting role in this film.
White Men Can’t Jump – Started streaming on Hulu May, 19th
This reboot of the 1992 classic is getting some harsh reviews. I loved it.
Well, maybe not loved it, but it’s an obvious cash grab reboot. If you go into White Men Can’t jump (2023) knowing this, then it meets expectation as a very watchable movie about basketball and racism.
WMCJ 2023 features Sinqua Walls and Jack Harlow in the roles originally portrayed by Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson, respectively.
Stephen Curry: Underrated – Available on Apple+
We’ve already had several biopics in 2023. But so far the only notable doc on the radar is yet another Steph film. I mean, he is pretty awesome, but the subject has been covered at this point, even if his career is far from over.
Anyway, Stephen Curry: Underrated was released at Sundance in 2023. And it is scheduled for release to Theatres and Apple TV+ in July. The doc follows Step from college days up to the 2022 Finals win.
Conclusion
So far we’ve seen an incredible run of basketball movies in 2023. I’m looking forward to the White Men Can’t Jump reboot even if I am reluctant.
BTW, if you’re looking for something to watch right now, I’ve got some more lists for you…