Love & Basketball

Play trailer

Love & Basketball

PG-13

2000

2h 4m

Romance

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

Eric Harrison

Los Angeles Times

03/09/2022

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

Go to Full Review

Jami Bernard

New York Daily News

03/09/2022

3.5/4

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

Go to Full Review

Ann Hornaday

Baltimore Sun

03/09/2022

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.

Go to Full Review

Chance Solem-Pfeifer

Willamette Week

Feb 13

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.

Go to Full Review

Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

05/02/2025

3.5/4

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

Go to Full Review

Justine Smith

Vague Visages

06/06/2024

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

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

MrGray

Feb 26

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

See more

Ben W

Feb 19

Such a great movie. Yay

See more

Daniel D

@DanoRydde Jun 16

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.

See more

Caz M

@CazMartino Apr 10

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.

See more

thiago s

@Thiagostone Jul 18

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.

See more

Cem Okan Y

@cmyldz23 06/12/2025

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

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Gina Prince-Bythewood

Director

Sanaa Lathan

Monica Wright

Omar Epps

Quincy McCall

Alfre Woodard

Camille Wright

Dennis Haysbert

Zeke McCall

Debbi Morgan

Nona McCall

Crazy/Beautiful

62%

69%

Crazy/Beautiful

Watchlist

Blue Crush

62%

58%

Blue Crush

Watchlist

At First Sight

33%

46%

At First Sight

Watchlist

Sweet November

15%

76%

Sweet November

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Sweet November

Bounce

52%

32%

Bounce

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

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)