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The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made 

Ranker Film
Updated July 13, 2020 1.6k votes 335 voters 32.9k views 33 items

Black sports movies combine the thrill of competition with athletes' desire to fight against oppression. The top Black sports movies range from completely fictitious comedies to compelling real-life documentaries. This is a list of the top Black sports films featuring everything from When We Were Kings to Love & Basketball to The Hurricane.

What movies will you find on this list of the best Black sports films? You might vote Hoop Dreams to the top. Documentarian Steve James followed two African American high school basketball stars as they set out on their quest to join the NBA. The movie examined all of the factors that contribute to the future of these young men including race, social class, education, and skills. White Men Can't Jump bridged the racial divide as Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes played a pair of b-ball hustlers who are out to make a quick buck. Other good movies featured on this top Black sports movies list include Ali, He Got Game, and Drumline.

Which Black athlete movies deserves the top spots on this list? Help us decide by giving your favorites a thumbs up. And be sure to check out our list of the best movies about racism.

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1
Remember the Titans is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
Hayden Panettiere, Ryan Gosling, Denzel Washington

Released: 2000

Directed by: Boaz Yakin

Remember the Titans is a 2000 American sports drama film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. The screenplay, written by Gregory Allen Howard, is based on the true story of ...more

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2
Coach Carter is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
Samuel L. Jackson, Channing Tatum, Ashanti

Released: 2005

Directed by: Thomas Carter

Coach Carter is a 2005 American biographical teen sports drama film directed by Thomas Carter, based on the true story of the Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter. Controversy ...more

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3
42 is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
Harrison Ford, Christopher Meloni, Nicole Beharie

Released: 2013

Directed by: Brian Helgeland

42 is a 2013 American biographical sports film written and directed by Brian Helgeland about the racial integration of American professional baseball by player Jackie Robinson, who wore jersey ...more

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4
Love & Basketball is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
Tyra Banks, Gabrielle Union, Sanaa Lathan

Released: 2000

Directed by: Gina Prince-Bythewood

Love & Basketball is a 2000 American romantic drama film starring Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan. The film tells the story of Quincy McCall and Monica Wright, two next-door neighbors in Los ...more

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5
The Blind Side is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
Sandra Bullock, Lily Collins, Kathy Bates

Released: 2009

Directed by: John Lee Hancock

The Blind Side is a 2009 American semi-biographical sports drama film. It was written and directed by John Lee Hancock, and based on the 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael ...more

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6
Above the Rim is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
Tupac Shakur, Bernie Mac, Marlon Wayans

Released: 1994

Directed by: Jeff Pollack

Above the Rim is a 1994 American drama directed by Jeff Pollack. The screenplay was written by Pollack and screenwriter Barry Michael Cooper, from a story by Pollack and Benny Medina. Starring ...more

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7
White Men Can't Jump is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
Woody Harrelson, Wesley Snipes, Rosie Perez

Released: 1992

Directed by: Ron Shelton

White Men Can't Jump is a 1992 American sports buddy comedy film written and directed by Ron Shelton, starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson as streetball hustlers. The film was released in ...more

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8
The Express is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
Dennis Quaid, Nicole Beharie, Clancy Brown

Released: 2008

Directed by: Gary Fleder

The Express is a 2008 American sports film produced by John Davis and directed by Gary Fleder. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Charles Leavitt from a book titled Ernie ...more
9
He Got Game is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Milla Jovovich

Released: 1998

Directed by: Spike Lee

He Got Game is a 1998 American sports-drama film written and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington as Jake Shuttlesworth, a prison inmate convicted for an act against his wife. He is ...more

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10
Glory Road is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
Emily Deschanel, Jon Voight, Tatyana Ali

Released: 2006

Directed by: James Gartner

Glory Road is a 2006 American drama sports film directed by James Gartner, based on a true story surrounding the events leading to the 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. Don ...more

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11
Space Jam is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
Michael Jordan, Bill Murray, Larry Bird

Released: 1996

Directed by: Joe Pytka

Space Jam is a 1996 American live-action/animated sports family/comedy film starring basketball player Michael Jordan and featuring the Looney Tunes characters. The film was produced by Ivan ...more

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12
The Hurricane is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber, Rod Steiger

Released: 1999

Directed by: Norman Jewison

The Hurricane is a 1999 biographical film directed by Norman Jewison, and starring Denzel Washington. The script was adapted by Armyan Bernstein and Dan Gordon from the books Lazarus and the ...more

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13
Ali is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith

Released: 2001

Directed by: Michael Mann

Ali is a 2001 American biographical film directed by Michael Mann. The film tells the story of the boxer Muhammad Ali, played by Will Smith, from 1964-74 featuring his capture of the heavyweight ...more

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14
Cool Runnings is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
John Candy, Malik Yoba, Jay Brazeau

Released: 1993

Directed by: Jon Turteltaub

Cool Runnings is a 1993 American sports film directed by Jon Turteltaub, and starring Leon, Doug E. Doug, Rawle D. Lewis, Malik Yoba and John Candy. The film was released in the United States on ...more

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15
Drumline is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
Zoe Saldana, Nick Cannon, Orlando Jones

Released: 2002

Directed by: Charles Stone III

Drumline is a 2002 American drama film directed by Charles Stone III. The screenplay, a fictional story about a historically black college and university marching band, was written by Tina ...more

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16
Pride is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
Terrence Howard, Bernie Mac, Tom Arnold

Released: 2007

Directed by: Sunu Gonera

Pride is a 2007 biopic drama feature film released by Lionsgate Entertainment on March 23, 2007. Loosely based upon the true story of Philadelphia swim coach James "Jim" Ellis, Pride ...more

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17
The Last Dragon is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
indigodivinesoul added Taimak, Julius Carry, Vanity

Released: 1985

Directed by: Michael Schultz

The Last Dragon is a 1985 martial arts musical film produced by Rupert Hitzig for Berry Gordy and directed by Michael Schultz. The film was a critical disappointment but a financial success, and ...more

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18
Sunset Park is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
Terrence Howard, Carol Kane, Rhea Perlman

Released: 1996

Directed by: Steve Gomer

Sunset Park is a 1996 basketball film. It stars Rhea Perlman as the head coach of a high school boys' basketball team from the Sunset Park neighborhood in New York City. The film also stars ...more
19
Rebound is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
Martin Lawrence, Megan Mullally, Tom Arnold

Released: 2005

Directed by: Steve Carr

Rebound is a 2005 comedy film directed by Steve Carr and starring Martin Lawrence as a disgraced college basketball coach who returns to his old middle school to coach the boys' basketball team. ...more

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20
The Jesse Owens Story is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
LeVar Burton, Norman Fell, Tom Bosley

Released: 1984

Directed by: Richard Irving

The Jesse Owens Story is a 1984 biographical film about the black athlete Jesse Owens. Dorian Harewood plays the Olympic gold-winning athlete. The drama won a 1985 Primetime Emmy Award and was ...more
21
Hoop Dreams is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
William Gates, Arthur Agee

Released: 1994

Directed by: Steve James

Hoop Dreams is a 1994 American documentary film directed by Steve James and written by James and Frederick Marx, with Kartemquin Films. It follows the story of two African-American high school ...more

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22
When We Were Kings is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
George Foreman, B.B. King, Don King

Released: 1996

Directed by: Leon Gast

When We Were Kings is a 1996 documentary film directed by Leon Gast about the famous "Rumble in the Jungle" heavyweight championship match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. The ...more

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23
Men of Honor is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
Charlize Theron, Robert De Niro, Cuba Gooding Jr.

Released: 2000

Directed by: George Tillman, Jr.

Men of Honor is a 2000 drama film, starring Robert De Niro and Cuba Gooding Jr. The film was directed by George Tillman, Jr. It is inspired by the true story of Master chief petty officer Carl ...more

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24
The Greatest is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
Robert Duvall, James Earl Jones, Ernest Borgnine

Released: 1977

Directed by: Tom Gries, Monte Hellman

The Greatest is a 1977 film about the life of boxer Muhammad Ali, in which Ali plays himself. It was directed by Tom Gries and Monte Hellman. The film follows Ali's life from the 1960 Olympics ...more
25
Brian's Song is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made
Dick Butkus, James Caan, Billy Dee Williams

Released: 1971

Directed by: Buzz Kulik

Brian's Song is a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week that recounts the details of the life of Brian Piccolo, a Wake Forest University football player stricken with terminal cancer after turning pro, ...more

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