Love & Basketball

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Love & Basketball

PG-13

2000

2h 4m

Romance

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

114 Reviews

95%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps) are two childhood friends who both aspire to be professional basketball players. Quincy, whose father, Zeke (Dennis Haysbert), plays for the Los Angeles Clippers, is a natural talent and a born leader. Monica is ferociously competitive but sometimes becomes overly emotional on the court. Over the years, the two begin to fall for each other, but their separate paths to basketball stardom threaten to pull them apart.

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Critics Consensus

Confident directing and acting deliver an insightful look at young athletes.

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Eric Harrison

Los Angeles Times

Mar 9, 2022

This is Prince-Bythewood's first feature film as both a writer and director, and she shows admirable command of her craft.

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Jami Bernard

New York Daily News

Mar 9, 2022

3.5/4

he relationship between Monica and Quincy is a treat, making this a great date movie.

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Ann Hornaday

Baltimore Sun

Mar 9, 2022

3.5/4

Gina Prince-Bythewood has taken the conventional coming-of-age romance genre and invigorated it with such vivid characters and such alertness to the culture she's representing, that she makes what might have been derivative into something brand new.

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Chance Solem-Pfeifer

Willamette Week

Feb 13, 2026

It’s well observed, fiery, sweet, melancholy, and one of the only movies to consider how athletes’ attachment to sports changes across the full arc of their lives.

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

May 2, 2025

3.5/4

If someone knows the one true thing about you, that might be enough for a life together.

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Justine Smith

Vague Visages

Jun 6, 2024

Love & Basketball transcends the simplicity of just alienation, as it reaches for romantic equality and miraculously achieves it.

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MrGray

Feb 26, 2026

Just as wonderful as it was the first time around. This story endures.

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Ben W

Feb 19, 2026

Such a great movie. Yay

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Daniel D

@DanoRydde Jun 16, 2026

Love & Basketball is more than a sports movie; it's a layered exploration of love, ambition, and identity. While not flawless, its honesty, cultural significance, and emotional resonance make it a standout in both the romance and sports genres. It is a rare sports romance that balances ambition, identity, and intimacy. It's not just about basketball, it's about how love and career collide and how two people grow together while chasing their dreams.

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Caz M

@CazMartino Apr 10, 2026

The character development for the male role wasn't great. When he has his mishap.. I didn't care. Just the scene before he wasn't being someone who deserved sympathy. Honestly it was hard to like him. The basketball is minimal in this basketball movie and focuses more on the romance over the game. A cute movie for couples that let women know, if he treat you bad, then love him more.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Jul 18, 2025

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom, e o drama é fraco.

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Cem Okan Y

@cmyldz23 Jun 12, 2025

Felt like the characters were not deep enough and it was difficult to feel the romance.

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Gina Prince-Bythewood

Director

Sanaa Lathan

Monica Wright

Omar Epps

Quincy McCall

Alfre Woodard

Camille Wright

Dennis Haysbert

Zeke McCall

Debbi Morgan

Nona McCall

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Synopsis

Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps) are two childhood friends who both aspire to be professional basketball players. Quincy, whose father, Zeke (Dennis Haysbert), plays for the Los Angeles Clippers, is a natural talent and a born leader. Monica is ferociously competitive but sometimes becomes overly emotional on the court. Over the years, the two begin to fall for each other, but their separate paths to basketball stardom threaten to pull them apart.

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Producer: Sam Kitt, Spike Lee
Screenwriter: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Production Co: 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks
Rating: PG-13 (Sexuality|Language)
Genre: Romance, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 21, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $27.4M
Runtime: 2h 4m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, DTS, SDDS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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