10 Best Basketball Movies on Netflix This Week

Basketball is the greatest sport on the planet. Basketball movies on Netflix come in handy when you can’t get out on the court because of bad weather, injuries, or other circumstances beyond your control. 

Basketball is not only one of the most popular sports in North America and Europe, but it is also catching on around the world. Countries like China and the Philippines are obsessed with sneaker trends.

Countries that were previously included in European Football are beginning to add basketball to their watch lists. 

If you’re stuck inside or looking for a great basketball movie on Netflix, add these to your watchlist and enjoy the motivation, laughter, and excitement of basketball.

Basketball Movies On Netflix For You 

Check out these excellent basketball movies on Netflix to get your daily dose of motivation.

1. Coach Carter

Perhaps the best-known basketball film on Netflix. Coach Carter tells the story of a mediocre basketball team with no leadership and no structure in a run-down neighborhood. 

The story follows Coach Carter, the master of basketball coaching, returning to his high school to transform his team from zero to hero. 

Along the way, you gain an appreciation for the characters, their ghetto surroundings, the beauty of their game, and the impact that a great coach can have on a team. 

2. The Last Dance

This documentary is the definitive answer to the age-old debate over who is better, Michael Jordan or LeBron James. 

The Last Dance provides context for Michael Jordan, the most influential basketball player in history. 

The Last Dance may not be a basketball movie on Netflix, but it is one of the best documentary TV series we’ve ever seen. 

3. Giants Of Africa

Everyone remembers the Toronto Raptors defeating the Golden State Warriors to win their first NBA championship, and while everyone credits Kawhi and Lowry for their efforts, it was Masai who assembled the team and traded DeRozan for an injured Kawhi. 

Masai is known for making risky trades and assembling creative teams on a shoestring budget, but he also has a pipeline of upcoming talent in Africa through his youth basketball programme. 

Giants of Africa tells the story of how young athletes come and go, but some exceptional talents rise to prominence.

If you’re looking for a heartfelt story to inspire your basketball team to appreciate the game, their gym, and each other, Giants of Africa is the perfect choice. 

4. Basketball Or Nothing 

Basketball is a game played under a variety of coaching styles. While some prefer to play at a slow pace, looking for weaknesses in the defense, others, such as the stars of Basketball or Nothing, push the ball, sprinting and shooting whenever they can. 

Basketball or Nothing tells the story of the Navajo Nation’s Chinle basketball team and their quest to beat the competition and become basketball champions. 

Alcohol and drugs are prevalent in some of their communities, and basketball provides both freedom and distraction. 

5. The Carter Effect

Over the last decade, Canada has steadily risen to become one of the most efficient and effective countries for producing basketball players. Steve Nash, Tristan Thompson, Kelly Olynyk, Andrew Wiggins, Chris Boucher, RJ Barret, Jamal Murray—the list goes on. 

Indeed, Forbes.com reports that Canada has the second-highest number of active NBA players after the United States. Hockey used to be the dominant sport in Canada, but the Carter Effect changed that. 

The Carter Effect is a basketball documentary that follows the rise of arguably the best dunker in NBA history, as well as the country of Canada. 

6. Space Jam

Space Jam is an absolute classic. The story of Michael Jordan, aka the GOAT, teaming up with Buggs Bunny to defeat an army of mutant aliens in a basketball game is hilarious, heartwarming, and epic.

The film stars NBA superstars Charles Barkley, Muggsy Bogues, David Robinson, Larry Bird, and, of course, Michael Jordan.

Jordan is transported to an alternate cartoon universe while playing golf with his buddies. Freaky, right?

7. Juwanna Man

What do you do when the men’s basketball league kicks you out of the competition? Dress up as a woman and play in the Women’s Basketball League. 

Juwanna Man may be the most ridiculous basketball movie on Netflix, but you can’t deny how hilarious it is. 

Juwanna Man is a great film for those who aren’t particularly interested in the basketball narrative and simply want to watch something funny that isn’t a romantic comedy (or is it?). 

8. Amateur 

Professional athletes are making more money than ever, and every scout wants to find the next big star for their team.

The film Amateur tells the story of a talented teenager who rises to stardom through the use of media and a well-crafted basketball game.

If you’re sitting on your phone reading this and fantasizing about becoming a famous basketball player, an amateur is the story of how that happens.

9. High Flying Bird

Basketball may be one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, which means sneakers are being sold, contracts are being signed, and hundreds of thousands of threes are being taken every day – but what happens when the season is put on lockdown? 

In High-Flying Bird, a rising basketball star struggles to find his path as the season comes to a close. Finding a new agent, he is quickly drawn into a new revenue opportunity in which he is in control of his financial future. 

Can media and a self-directed path propel this basketball star to infamous status, or is the traditional method of televised basketball the only way to make a name for yourself. Check out High-Flying Bird on Netflix today. 

10. Q Ball

Basketball represents freedom. On the court, there is nothing but the offense and the defense. Q Ball is a basketball movie on Netflix that follows the lives of basketball players who seek and find freedom through their love of the game. 

Kevin Durant executive produces this alternative basketball film, which stars a group of prison inmates who work tirelessly to improve their game and the outcomes of their lives once they are released from prison. 

For the time being, their only freedom is that of basketball in motion. Those looking for a basketball movie on Netflix that inspires hope should look no further than Q Ball.