Hoop Cities - NBA Feature Documentary (2023)

#Rucker50

The celebratory explosion of basketball history makers, legend shakers and lawbreakers; juxtaposed against important events in Civil & Human Rights. The 50 years of The Rucker's ripples reverberate throughout Basketball, Hip-Hop, Harlem, and life.

Dickie V

The remarkable life and career of the legendary Dick Vitale, ESPN's voice of college basketball for more than four decades, and an inspiration as he battles cancer, a disease he's been fighting on behalf of others for years as well. The film features more than 40 original interviews including Magic Johnson, Mike Krzyzewski, Charles Barkley, John Calipari, Robin Roberts, Chris Berman and Mike Tirico, among many leading voices from college basketball, sports broadcasting, and beyond, "Dickie V" is a fun, unforgettable, moving, inspirational ride through an incredible life still being lived, and a poignant tribute to a man still spreading love and joy wherever he goes.

Pat XO

This documentary profiles the life and career of Pat Summitt, the NCAA's winningest basketball coach, who resigned from her post at the University of Tennessee in 2012 due to early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Hoop Dreams

Every school day, African-American teenagers William Gates and Arthur Agee travel 90 minutes each way from inner-city Chicago to St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, a predominately white suburban school well-known for the excellence of its basketball program. Gates and Agee dream of NBA stardom, and with the support of their close-knit families, they battle the social and physical obstacles that stand in their way. This acclaimed documentary was shot over the course of five years.

The Book of Kobe Bryant

The Book of Kobe Bryant is an original, full-length documentary centered around the life and career of the late basketball legend. It is made up of four chapters, each of which focus on a specific notable aspect of his journey in the NBA.

Requiem for the Big East

The meteoric ascension of the Big East conference, and how in less than a decade, it became the most successful college basketball league in America.

Silenced: A Stephen Curry Film

From season ending injuries to a last place finish, it seemed like the Golden State Warriors were far from the dynasty that had taken the NBA by storm for the early part of a decade. As the rest of the basketball world moved on to the next contender, Stephen Curry and the rest of the Warriors continued working, just waiting for the opportunity to once again have their core healthy and sharing the court together again. This is the story of how Stephen Curry would once and for all cement himself as one of the NBA's all-time greats, with a memorable Finals MVP performance that earned him his fourth ring.

Untold: Operation Flagrant Foul

Years after serving time for betting on games he officiated, former NBA referee Tim Donaghy revisits the scandal that shook up the league.

Phoenix: A Purdue Basketball Story

The Purdue men's basketball team enjoyed a record-breaking season in 2023-24, reaching the National Championship game and winning a school-record 34 games. This is its story of its journey to Phoenix.

Bad Boys

The Detroit Pistons of the late 1980s and early '90s seemed willing to do anything to win. That characteristic made them loved — and hated. It earned them the title: Bad Boys.

The Crossover: 50 Years of Hip Hop and Sports

Fifty years ago in the Bronx, a new genre of music was born, the product of a people searching for their voice and the opportunity to be heard. For decades, the community was bound by the words of leaders like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X before their assassinations attempted to thwart the messaging. While their lives ended, the impact of their words never would, instead paving the way for others. Soon, athletes and entertainers would step to the microphone and boldly become the sound of a new generation and an inspiration to their people. When the world looked to silence them, the culture found a way to speak louder than ever before. From Muhammad Ali to Public Enemy, Jay-Z to Lebron James and beyond, the impact on sports has been indelible.

The Queen of Basketball

She was arguably the greatest women's basketball player. She won three national trophies; she played in the ’76 Olympics; she was drafted to the NBA. But have you ever heard of Lucy Harris?

More than a Game

This documentary follows NBA superstar LeBron James and four of his talented teammates through the trials and tribulations of high school basketball in Ohio and James' journey to fame.

When the Garden Was Eden

This nostalgic sports documentary captures the New York Knicks at the height of their golden era during the 1970s, revealing in the process a singularly gifted and inspired team revered by its fans.

144

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 WNBA season pivoted into a bubble site in Bradenton, Florida – where 144 players across 12 teams convened to face the rigors of an unrelenting schedule and finish their battle for a championship; all while just as dedicated to amplify social activism in response to the injustices that gripped that same summer. A documentary from ESPN Films.

Kobe Doin' Work

A documentary following Kobe Bryant during one day of the 2008 NBA playoffs.

Sixth Man: Bluesanity

What do Josh Hutcherson, Steve Zahn, Josh Hopkins, Eddie Montgomery, Laura Bell Bundy and The Back Street Boys all have in common? Aside from making great movies and music, they all bow at the altar of Kentucky Basketball as members of Big Blue Nation!

After the Game: A 20 Year Look at Three Former Athletes

Three women from a 1999 collegiate basketball team test their limits as they push to reach their athletic potential. Nearly 20 years later, they apply lessons learned from their playing days to different professional, off-the-court challenges.

Giannis: The Marvelous Journey

A documentary that chronicles the extraordinary odyssey of NBA mega-star Giannis Antetokounmpo from an impoverished childhood in Greece as the son of Nigerian immigrants to the very top of the basketball world.

Playing for the Mob

The story of how mobster Henry Hill - played by Ray Liotta in Martin Scorsese 1990 classic, Goodfellas - helped orchestrate the fixing of Boston College basketball games in the 1978-79 season. The details of that point-shaving scandal are revealed for the first time on film through the testimony of the players, the federal investigators and the actual fixers. Playing For The Mob may be set in the seemingly golden world of college basketball, but like Goodfellas, this is a tale of greed, betrayal and reckoning. Ultimately, they both share the same message: With that much money at stake, you can't trust anybody.

Giannis Antetokounmpo: Raíces y alas

Plot unavailable

D. Wade: Life Unexpected

For a decade, Dwayne Wade intimately documented his life and career with a film crew. The result is a remarkably candid portrait of one of the greatest NBA players of all-time.

Michael Jordan: Above and Beyond

"Michael Jordan Above and Beyond" provides a much-needed look at Michael Jordan's fantastic return from retirement in 1995. The first 20 minutes or so recap his retirement, attempt at minor league baseball, and his dealing with his father's murder. It picks up when it starts looking at the huge frenzy that was his return to the NBA in the Spring of 1995. It covers his mediocre first game back against the Pacers, his Friday night Chicago return against the Magic, and his subsequent return to form with a game-winning shot against Atlanta, and a career night dropping 55 on the Knicks.

Kevin Garnett: Anything Is Possible

Follow Kevin Garnett's remarkable career and the pivotal moments that defined it.

1968

A.E.K., the well-known Greek basketball team founded in 1924 by refugees from Constantinople, after 44 years, beats SLAVIA of Prague and wins the European Cup.

I Hate Christian Laettner

He made perhaps the most dramatic shot in the history of the NCAA basketball tournament. He's the only player to start in four consecutive Final Fours, and was instrumental in Duke winning two national championships. He had looks, smarts and game. So why has Christian Laettner been disliked so intensely by so many for so long? Maybe it was the time he stomped on the chest of a downed player, or the battles he had with his teammates, or a perceived sense of entitlement. But sometimes, perception isn't reality. "I Hate Christian Laettner" will go beyond the polarizing persona to reveal the complete story behind this lightning rod of college basketball. Featuring extensive access to Laettner, previously unseen footage and perspectives from all sides, this film will be a "gloves-off" examination of the man who has been seen by many as the "Blue Devil Himself."

Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals

An exploration of the fierce rivalry between NBA superstars Larry Bird and Magic Johnson during their decade of dominance.

Sue Bird: In the Clutch

In her 21-year professional career, WNBA basketball legend Sue Bird has won five Olympic gold medals and become the most successful point guard to ever play the game. Alongside her fiancée, U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe, Sue confronts her next challenge: retiring from the only life she’s ever known.

Untold: Malice at the Palace

Key figures from an infamous 2004 incident between players and fans at an NBA game in Michigan discuss the fight, its fallout, and its lasting legacy.

Kobe Bryant's Muse

Documentary that goes behind the stats to reveal the story of Kobe Bryant's career, exploring the mentorships, allies and rivalries that have helped shape his stellar 18-year tenure in the NBA, and offering access to his daily experiences, his lifelong inspirations and the battle with his greatest personal challenge yet.

The Fab Five

Depicts the story of Jalen Rose and his other Fab Five teammates, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson. Called by some “the greatest class ever recruited,” the five freshmen not only electrified the game, but also brought new style with their baggy shorts, black socks and brash talk. “The Fab Five” relives the recruitment process that got all five of them to Ann Arbor, the cultural impact they made, the two runs to NCAA title game, the Webber “timeout” in the 1993 championship and the scandal that eventually tarnished their accomplishments.

Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks

Reggie Miller single-handedly crushed the hearts of Knick fans multiple times. But it was the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals that solidified Miller as Public Enemy #1 in New York City. With moments to go in Game 1, and facing a seemingly insurmountable deficit of 105-99, Miller scored eight points in 8.9 seconds to give his Indiana Pacers an astonishing victory. This career-defining performance, combined with his give-and-take with Knicks fan Spike Lee, made Miller and the Knicks a highlight of the 1995 NBA playoffs. Peabody Award-winning director Dan Klores will explore how Miller proudly built his legend as "The Garden's Greatest Villain".

Michael Jordan's Playground

This made-for-video production mixes highlights of Michael Jordan from the '80s with a fantasy storyline of a high school teen named Walt, who has been cut from his basketball team. Doubting his abilities, Walt gets some lessons from Michael Jordan himself, on the magical Playground known as Michael Jordan's Playground.

Passion Play: Russell Westbrook

Chronicling the life and career of Russell Westbrook, one of the greatest point guards of all time. Despite his success, he enters the 2021-22 season on his fourth team in three years where he looks to cement his legacy on his own terms.