The Top 40 Basketball Movies - #3. Love & Basketball

The Top 40 Basketball Movies - #3. Love & Basketball 

Produced by Spike Lee, cause why wouldn't he. It feels like he is a part of every movie in the top 10. He likely thinks of it better than One on One but worse than He Got Game. Came out in 2000, but never feels dated or like a 90s movie. Tied for second highest Rotten Tomatoes Audience score. I would put this in the 7-8 range in terms of basketball movies. It qualifies as a good movie and story. It's a step above Glory Road and One on One and is in the same conversation as He Got Game and Coach Carter. It was the second movie I watched after thinking I was going to make a list after Finding Forrester. I think it would be a decent re-watch. Movie starts when the two main characters (Quincy and Monica) are kids and young Quincy is playing basketball with his friends when Monica comes over looking tomboyish and wants to play. They start 'going out' as kids and remain friends through high school when the story really kicks off. Both are good at basketball and we follow their relationship through Quincy's family woes, their college ball and eventually the professional leagues. I really enjoyed the ending. The movie doesn't have the Rom Com fluff. I feel we are rooting for them to get together which puts us more on Monica's side of the story. Omar Epps and Dennis Haysbert who plays Quincy's father, both played teammates in Major League 2. Sanaa Lathan I recognized from Alien vs Predator's main character. Epps and Lathan starred together in previously and were dating in real life. Tyra Banks plays a girlfriend. Regina Hall I know as well from Scary Movie. Omar was in Scream 2. Gabrielle Union who married Dwayne Wade and Harry Lennix are also stars. Lennix who stars in all sorts of things like The Matrix sequels and the Snyder DC movies. Lathan was picked by Lee for having reasonably good basketball skills after she went through extensive training. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, it was her first feature, but I don't think she did much after until recently when she directed The Old Guard and The Woman King. 

Movie	Rotten Tom	Rotten Tom Aud	IMDB	Internet Rank	My Rank
3. Love and Basketball	85	95	7.2	5	8
4. The Way Back	84	84	6.7	9	5
5. Coach Carter	64	85	7.3	7	7
6. Air	92	98	7.7	1	14
7. White Men Can't Jump	77	68	6.8	17	1
8. He Got Game	80	83	6.9	8	11
9. Uncut Gems	91	52	7.4	13	9
10. One on One	88	75	6.5	15	12
11. Above the Rim	52	82	6.6	18	10
12. Champions	59	95	6.7	12	17
13. BASEketball	41	74	6.5	28	2
14. Glory Road	55	81	7.2	14	18
15. Finding Forrester	74	79	7.3	10	22
16. Rebound: The Legend of Earl “The Goat”	50	94	7.6	6	27
17. Inside Moves	50	77	7.0	19	16
18. Hoop Dreams	98	92	8.3	2	35
19. Uncle Drew	61	48	5.7	32	6
20. Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story	50	99	6.9	11	28
21. The Winning Season	50	55	6.6	26	15
22. Fast Break	50	59	6.1	30	13
23. Believe in Me	60	74	7.0	16	29
24. High Flying Bird	91	50	6.2	20	26
25. "O"	64	58	6.1	22	25
26. Forget Paris	48	56	6.5	29	19
27. Sunset Park	13	83	5.9	31	21
28. Game Day	50	82	5.4	25	30
29. Blue Chips	37	51	6.2	33	23
30. Amateur	60	66	5.9	24	32
31. The Air Up There	21	35	5.5	38	20
32. Space Jam	43	63	6.5	27	31
33. Semi-Pro	22	38	5.8	36	24
34. Heaven Is a Playground	50	84	5.8	21	39
35. Hurricane Season	50	69	6.5	23	38
36. Teen Wolf	42	52	6.1	34	34
37. Boogie	42	57	5.2	35	36
38. Rebound	14	38	5.1	40	33
39. Slam Dunk Ernest	50	31	4.5	37	37
40. Eddie	17	36	5.2	39	40