Certified Classics: The 10 best basketball mixtapes of the last 25 years

If you grew up in the same era as me, you had your notifications on, waiting for the moment Hoop Mixtape, Yay Area’s Finest, or Ball is Life dropped a new highlight reel. These were not just videos; they were art. The pioneers of the mixtape era knew how to turn basketball into cinema. the right beat, timed perfectly with a dunk or a no-look pass, it was storytelling through highlights.

Mixtapes were not just made for anyone; players had to earn one. Only the flashiest and most electric created the clicks. And when they did, my friends and I would crowd around the computer, replaying every move like it was a scene from our favorite movie.

There is a real creativity that goes into making a great mixtape. It starts with a player who can do things that most cannot – something explosive, something creative. But that is only part of the mix; production plays a major role and the soundtrack matters just as much as the highlights. There needs to be a beat with some bounce; something energetic but smooth, a track that does not just play behind the highlights, but elevates them.

Here are the 10 mixtapes that set the standard over the past 25 years.

1. Aaron Gordon | Yay Area Finest

Title: 16-Year old Aaron Gordon IS NOT HUMAN!!! INSANE Official Summer Mixtape!!!

What an introduction we got from Yay Area’s Finest to a 16-year-old Aaron Gordon. Fast-forward a decade, and Gordon gave us some of the most memorable NBA dunk contest moments we have ever seen. But back in Oakland, California, Gordon was already playing high above the rim. “Yo. What up? This is AG,” The video starts with Gordon walking down a neighborhood street, introducing himself and some b-roll. The anticipation builds. The beat drops, air horn sounds, and Yay Area’s Finest give us three minutes of Aaron Gordon putting an aerial assault on the rim. A perfect example of the perfect beat for the right player, this mix was equal parts vicious, acrobatic, and all-around exciting.

2. Aquille Carr | Hoopmixtape

Title: 5’6 Aquille Carr is STILL the Most Exciting Player in High School

This highlight reel was Hoop Mixtape’s second look at Aquille Carr. The first video got 6.6 million views. Carr earned the nickname “Crime-stopper” from an article stating crime in the city dropped drastically during his games because the entire community would come watch him play. The second mixtape got over 10 million views and probably had the most memorable intro to any mixtape made. The highlights start with Carr standing on the front steps of a house, introducing the video in the middle of what we can assume to be his family and friends. Already a star from Hoop Mixtape’s first drop, this beat is heavy from the start, and then we get three and a half minutes of on-ball swag.

3. Zion Williamson | Elite Mixtapes

Title: Zion Williamson is a Mixtape LEGEND! Official Senior Year EliteMixtape

The Zion Williams mixtape era is one that I lived through. He attended multiple events I ran with Phenom Hoops, and I got to see his growth from freshman year on. What made Williamson’s highlights so unique was not only the raw power and explosive pop, but also the ball skills he had. He was an athlete like no other I have seen with my own eyes at that age. By the time Williamson entered high school, there were numerous mixtape companies around, and everyone had a camera point at Zion. What I like about the Elite Mixtape version is its incorporation of Williamson’s commitment to Duke. He says ‘Duke University,’ the lead-in starts, and then Elite Mixtapes gives us four minutes of athleticism that many have never seen. While other companies might have had more views with their Williamson mixes, the view of the dunks on this mix was right on top of the play, and the beat matched the energy of the dunks. This “senior year” mixtape closed a high school chapter of Zion Williamson that most of us will not forget.

4. John Wall | Hoop Mixtape

Title: John Wall Official Hoopmixtape Vol. 1; BEST Player in the Nation

John Wall recently retired from the NBA, and still, one of the first things mentioned around him is his high school mixtape. Some consider the John Wall mix as the one that brought high school mixtapes from a subculture into the mainstream. You had a player with flash and elite speed, making incredibly exciting plays, ranked at the top of his class, in the midst of a blue blood recruiting battle. The most memorable play in this compilation is the second highlight of the mix, where Wall Shamgod’s a helpless defender off the screen. The timing of John Wall’s mixtape drop was perfect, and this video from Hoop Mixtape was an excellent combination of highlight plays and a hard-hitting beat that does not stop.

5. Seventh Woods | Hoop Mixtape

Title: Seventh Woods is The BEST 14 Year Old in the Country! CRAZY Athlete

We are introduced to Seventh Woods as the best 14-year-old in the country. And then we are given two-and-a-half minutes of explosive dunks and crafty dribbles that were equal parts jaw-dropping and electric. Much like the Zion Williamson era, I lived the Seventh Woods high school experience, watching many of his highlights live, and hosting Woods at numerous events throughout his high school days. Woods was an unknown freshman at the time this mix was released. This mixtape immediately boosted Woods to the top of the class. Blocks at the top of the square, dunking on defenders, and an exciting display of raw explosion. Sixteen million views and 12 years later, the highlights and the beat remain captivating.

6. Shaquille Johnson | Hoop Mixtape

Title: Shaquille Johnson is the BEST Dunker in High School Basketball!!! Official Hoopmixstape!

This one had all the ingredients, an elite athlete making breath-taking plays, and a beat that kept you into the video. Shaquille Johnson showed that you do not have to be an elite prospect to have an elite mixtape. The most memorable highlight in this mix was when Johnson elevated at the 1:23 mark to catch a poor soul at the rim, which later became the soundbite for the Hoopmixtape intro. While there were a couple of jump shots mixed in to keep us honest, the majority of this two minute highlight package was high-flying blocked shots and powerful dunks with Johnson’s head – literally – above the rim.

7. Austin Rivers | Hoop Mixtape

Title: Austin Rivers CRAZY Official Hoopmixtape; Dominated 2010-2011 Senior Campaign!!

The opening b-roll of this mix had Austin Rivers making statements, into the camera, like ‘showtime baby’ and ‘I’ma go off.’ We became fully immersed into the confidence that Rivers played with. Rivers had already earned multiple mixtapes, across multiple platforms, each earning over a million views. Rivers, the son of NBA head coach Doc Rivers, was a top-five player in his class who ultimately committed to Duke. This mix showed a quick handle with stop-on-a-dime pace and on-the-rim-type explosion. He had flair and that flair was showcased in this video with a subdued, and consistent beat that enhanced that highlights. Rivers solidified himself as a clickable athlete.

8. Andrew Wiggins | Hoop Mixtape

Title: Andrew Wiggins OFFICIAL Senior year Hoopmixtape! Best Player in High School!

This mix for Andrew Wiggins was unique in that the jaw-dropping nature of the highlights carried the mixtape despite a beat that started to feel a bit overplayed as the video continued. And even while turning the sound down a quarter of a way into the reel, the constant array of breath-taking leaps toward the rim kept you around until the very end. There were some jump shots mixed in, but the majority of the video is Wiggins aggressively getting downhill and showcasing twitchy finishes at the rim. These highlights showed a teenage Andrew Wiggins on a mission to bring the crowd to its feet.

9. Brandon Jennings | Ball is Life

Title: The Brandon Jennings Official Mixtape : Best Up and Coming PG in NBA??

If you did not live the legend of Brandon Jennings, it would be hard to explain. He was on the cover of magazines in high school, selling out gyms across the country. While there was aura around Jennings’ game, for me, this mixtape was about the beat – specifically the lead in before the drop. It gave old school vibes, and the editing for this video played into that theme as well. It was like an old-timey movie, for almost five full minutes. Stop on a dime pull-up jumpers, crafty handle, and explosive plays at the basket, the highlights were electric, but the production on this mixtape was like no other.

10. Dennis Smith, Jr. | Ball is Life

Title: #1 Point Guard Dennis Smith Jr CRAZY Junior Season Mixtape!

Dennis Smith, Jr. was must-watch television in high school. He packed gyms everywhere he went, be it in the high school or AAU setting. He also created for himself a signature move. I am not sure if the Dennis Smith hesi was stopped in his three years of high school. This is another one that I lived through, with Smith attending numerous events throughout his high school days creating highlights every step of the way. He played his high school games in a local YMCA gym, it was standing room only, having to get in line an hour before the game started. Smith had a way of making the game look easy, showcasing his 40-plus inch vertical without really breaking a sweat. With the spotlight on him, Smith did not duck smoke and he rarely disappointed those watching.

The Next Five Mixtapes

Derrick Rose | Hoop Mixtape

Title: Never Before Seen Footage Of NBA Pro Derrick Rose In High School.

Before the MVP run and captivating the city of Chicago with the Bulls, we got a thirty-second, grainy video of Derrick Rose. Filmed at Chicago State University, and released 16 years ago, before Mixtape’s really took off, we were shown Rose’s unique explosion, balance, and floor vision. Rose was in the high school class of 2007, this mix was not dropped until 2009, after Rose had taken Memphis to the national title game and then earned NBA Rookie of the Year honors. This was far and away the shortest highlight reel on this list, and had it been longer and/or distributed in real time it would have probably been much higher on the list, but the legend of pre-injury Derrick Rose must live on.

Harry Giles
Trae Jefferson
Mac McClung
Kwe Parker