10 Best Comedic Basketball Movies, Including Space Jam

It feels like most people think about dramatic scenes when sports movies are mentioned. More often than not, these films have underdog stories and climactic moments where one player or team wins in the end. That’s still the case in comedies but there’s more hilarity that ensues.

Although there are comedy films about all sports, it seems like basketball is the one that lends itself the most to the laughs. There have been almost countless memorable funny basketball movies dating back decades. Although not all of them were critically acclaimed, they all accomplished the goal of having the audience in stitches.

10 Celtic Pride (1996)

Although this film didn’t get positive reviews from most who saw it, there is a lot of talent involved. For one, it was written by Judd Apatow, who has been behind some of the top comedy movies ever made. For another, the cast includes Damon Wayans, Dan Aykroyd, and Daniel Stern.

The premise sees two diehard Boston Celtics fans (Aykroyd and Stern) who kidnap the star player of the opposing Utah Jazz (Wayans) to keep him from playing in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. It has a handful of funny moments and great cameos from real sports stars.

9 The Air Up There (1994)

It can be pretty difficult to pinpoint The Air Up There as a straight-up comedy as it’s not flat-out funny. It may not split your sides but there’s still a lot of fun to be had. The story follows a college basketball assistant coach who heads to Kenya in search of a new prospect for his team.

The player named Saleh forms an entertaining bond with the coach, Jimmy Dolan. The plot comes down to one game with everything on the line in dramatic fashion. Although not over-the-top hilarious, it’s hard not to enjoy the chemistry between Kevin Bacon (Dolan) and Charles Gitonga Maina (Saleh).

8 The Sixth Man (1997)

It’s not often that supernatural elements are included in sports movies, especially in the realm of comedies. However, The Sixth Man did just that with a pretty unique storyline. Everything starts on a sad note as Antoine Tyler (Kadeem Hardison) dies from a heart attack after dunking.

His brother Kenny (Marlon Wayans) goes on to continue his career without his brother, or so he thinks. Soon, Antoine’s ghost begins interfering in games, helping Kenny and their old team win. While there are emotional moments throughout, it’s mostly full of comedy.

7 Rebound (2005)

There are iconic sports movies centered on kids for hockey (The Mighty Ducks), baseball (The Sandlot), and football (Little Giants). However, basketball seems to be missing from that equation. There was an attempt to change that with Rebound starring Martin Lawrence.

It follows a similar story to The Mighty Ducks as a once prominent college coach (Lawrence) is sent to lead a middle school basketball team. The group of kids makes this fun as they’re a ragtag team who is hopeless until they bond with their coach and become a championship-caliber squad.

6 Eddie (1996)

Another aspect that basketball movies don’t usually focus on is the role women play in it. Eddie did that but sees a coach at the heart of the story and not a player. Edwina “Eddie” Franklin (Whoopi Goldberg) is a lifelong New York Knicks fan who ends up as the team’s coach.

It’s a far-fetched story since this wouldn’t happen in real life but it’s made fun by Goldberg’s comedic talents and the way her character runs the team. She gets the most out of the less-talented players and turns the ones with big egos into team players willing to sacrifice for the better of the franchise.

5 Like Mike (2002)

There’s just something fun about the premise of Like Mike. In it, a young orphan (Lil’ Bow Wow) stumbles upon a pair of old sneakers that originally belonged to Michael Jordan. Somehow, these kicks grant him magical abilities that gift him Jordan’s talents on the court.

Calvin Cambridge (Bow Wow) rides these skills all the way to the NBA. It’s pretty hilarious to watch a child play against NBA players, especially since real stars like Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, and Allen Iverson all appear in games alongside him.

4 Uncle Drew (2018)

The most recent entry on this list actually started with a simple series of internet ads. Done by Pepsi, they saw NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving disguised as an old man calling himself Uncle Drew playing against and dominating much younger guys on the basketball court.

It led to a film starring Irving again but he was joined by Shaquille O’Neal, Nate Robinson, Reggie Miller, and Chris Webber who also all play old men. Lisa Leslie, Nick Kroll, Aaron Gordon, and Lil Rel Howery are all in the supporting cast and bring the laughs.

3 Teen Wolf (1985)

Following the newest movie on the list is the oldest. Teen Wolf is something of a classic from the ’80s as even if the reviews weren’t overwhelmingly positive at the time, it has gone on to become an iconic pop culture staple that even led to a dramatic TV series.

Still, there’s something about the original that can’t be topped. Michael J. Fox is both outstanding and charming as Scott Howard, a teenager sick of being average. He transforms into a werewolf and hilariously uses that to become a better basketball player.

2 Space Jam (1996)

It seems like everyone is talking about Space Jam these days with a highly-anticipated sequel coming up in July. The first movie was released at the perfect time, with the Looney Tunes still being pretty popular and Michael Jordan in the midst of one of his retirements.

Jordan stars as someone who the Looney Tunes bring to their world to compete in a basketball game against the Monstars, a group of aliens who stole talent from some of the NBA’s best players. The combination of a legendary NBA icon alongside some of the best cartoon characters ever made for something that was truly special.

1 White Men Can’t Jump (1993)

Not only is White Men Can’t Jump the funniest basketball movie ever made but it’s also in the conversation for the best of the bunch. It takes things to a smaller scale than the pros as it focuses on a pair of ballers who hustle others in street games for money.

Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson) is a former college player who looks like he isn’t good at basketball and uses that to trick his opponents. He partners up with Sidney Deane (Wesley Snipes), a talented player who Billy previously hustled, and they embark on both dramatic and funny games.

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