• Air date: 06 Oct '09 30 episodes
      30 for 30 is the umbrella title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN and its sister networks and online properties. The series, which highlights people and events in the sports world that have generally received small amounts of attention, has featured two "volumes" of 30 episodes each, a 13-episode series under the ESPN Films Presents title in 2011-2012, and a series of 30 for 30 Shorts shown through the ESPN.com website.
  • List of Episodes (30)
    • 1. King's Ransom

      06 Oct '09
      The 1988 trade of Wayne Gretzky from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings and the effect it had on Gretzky, the fans in Edmonton, and the popularity of hockey in Southern California.
    • 2. The Band That Wouldn't Die

      13 Oct '09
      A profile of Baltimore's love affair with football and the Colts, focusing on the Colts Marching Band. After the Colts decamped for Indianapolis in 1984, the band remained in Baltimore and helped promote the eventual return of the NFL to the city.
    • 3. Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL?

      20 Oct '09
      Fresh interviews and archival footage track the life and demise of the United States Football League in the mid-1980s. A highlight is Tollin's interview with Donald Trump, the former New Jersey Generals owner whose post-interview comments on the league give this documentary its title.
    • 4. Muhammad and Larry

      27 Oct '09
      Muhammad and Larry is a documentary film directed by Alberts Maysles and Bradley Kaplan for ESPN's documentary film series 30 for 30.
    • 5. Without Bias

      03 Nov '09
      Without Bias is a documentary film directed by Kirk Fraser for the ESPN documentary series 30 for 30. It is the story of Len Bias, the University of Maryland basketball star, whose death by cocaine overdose days after being drafted by the Boston Celtics altered drug policy in the United States.
    • 6. The Legend of Jimmy the Greek

      10 Nov '09
      The Legend of Jimmy the Greek is the 6th episode of ESPN's documentary film series, 30 for 30. The documentary, directed by Fritz Mitchell, examines the rise and fall of Jimmy the Greek, the legendary sports handicapper who rose to fame as part of CBS' NFL studio show The NFL Today.
    • 7. The U

      12 Dec '09
      The U is a 2009 documentary film produced by Miami-based media studio Rakontur and directed by Billy Corben. The U covers the rise and dominance of the Miami Hurricanes football team during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with comments from players like Ray Lewis, two-time Super Bowl champion. The film premiered December 12, 2009 after the Heisman Trophy presentation on ESPN as a part of their 30 for 30 documentary series. The U's premiere drew 2.3 million viewers, the most ever for a
    • 8. Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks

      14 Mar '10
      "If you’re a basketball fan, you know that one of the great NBA rivalries in the mid-1990s was between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks. In classic David-meets-Goliath style, the two teams faced off in thrilling seven-game battles during the 1994 and 1995 playoffs. In Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks, Dan Klores focuses on the Pacers’ master showman, Reggie Miller, who was as skilled at three-pointers as he was at trash talking. Not only did he antagonize the
    • 9. Guru of Go

      03 Apr '10
      Guru of Go is a documentary film directed by Bill Couturié that aired as part of ESPN's film series 30 for 30.
    • 10. No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson

      13 Apr '10
      No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson is a 2010 documentary film produced by Kartemquin Films for ESPN's 30 for 30 series and directed by Steve James. No Crossover details the February 14, 1993 bowling alley riots of then high school basketball phenom and future NBA superstar, Allen Iverson, and how the incident, trial and eventual conviction of Iverson divided the town of Hampton, Virginia. The documentary features camcorder footage from the February 14, 1993 riots at a bowling alley where
    • 11. Silly Little Game

      20 Apr '10
      Silly Little Game is a film directed by Lucas Jansen and Adam Kurland.
    • 12. Run Ricky Run

      27 Apr '10
      Run Ricky Run is a film directed by Sean Pamphilon and Royce Toni.
    • 13. The 16th Man

      04 May '10
      The 16th Man is a documentary film directed by Cliff Bestall that aired as part of ESPN's film series 30 for 30.
    • 14. Straight Outta L.A.

      11 May '10
      "For rapper-turned-filmmaker Ice Cube, the emergence of gangster rap will be forever linked to the Oakland Raiders' move to Los Angeles in 1982. Ice Cube turns the camera on himself to tell how his genre-defining group NWA forged an unlikely relationship with the Raiders, a team whose swagger and style captivated LA during their troubled 13-season stay." Quoting the program notes from the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival site.
    • 15. June 17, 1994

      16 Jun '10
      June 17th, 1994 is a documentary film directed by Brett Morgen that aired as part of ESPN's film series 30 for 30.
    • 16. The Two Escobars

      22 Jun '10
      "Born in the same city in Colombia but not related, Andrés Escobar and Pablo Escobar shared a fanatical love of soccer. Andrés grew up to become one of Colombia's most beloved players, while Pablo became the most notorious drug baron of all time. While adeptly investigating the secret marriage of crime and sports, Michael Zimbalist and Jeff Zimbalist (Favela Rising, TFF '05) reveal the surprising connections between the murders of Andrés and Pablo." Quoting the description from the 2010
    • 17. The Birth of Big Air

      29 Jul '10
      The Birth of Big Air is a documentary film directed by Jeff Tremaine that aired as part of ESPN's film series 30 for 30.
    • 18. Jordan Rides the Bus

      24 Aug '10
      Jordan Rides the Bus is a documentary film directed by Ron Shelton that aired as part of ESPN's film series 30 for 30.
    • 19. Little Big Men

      31 Aug '10
      The 16th Man is a documentary film directed by Al Szymanski that aired as part of ESPN's film series 30 for 30.
    • 20. One Night in Vegas

      07 Sep '10
      One Night in Vegas is a documentary film directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood that aired as part of ESPN's film series 30 for 30.
    • 21. Unmatched

      14 Sep '10
      Unmatched is a documentary about tennis players Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert Lloyd, their decades-long fierce rivalry on the tennis court and their lifelong friendship. They met in 80 matches, 60 finals and 14 grand slam finals with Navratilova sporting a 43-37 advantage. Navratilova was sometimes described as the lesbian tennis player from a communist country: "As one of the first openly gay sports figures, she has spent much of her career overcoming prejudices and stereotypes, giving up
    • 22. The House of Steinbrenner

      21 Sep '10
      The House of Steinbrenner is a documentary film directed by Barbara Kopple that aired as part of ESPN's film series 30 for 30.
    • 23. Into the Wind

      28 Sep '10
      Into the Wind is a 2010 documentary film which chronicles the story of Terry Fox. At the age of 18, Fox was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. The cancer had taken over his right leg, which was then amputated six inches above the knee. However, three years later, Fox set out to raise funds for cancer research and raise awareness by running 30 miles a day from the Atlantic Ocean in Newfoundland to the Pacific Ocean in British Columbia, totaling over 4000 miles. The film was directed by the NBA star
    • 24. Four Days In October

      05 Oct '10
      Four Days in October is a documentary film directed by Gary Waksman that aired as part of ESPN's film series 30 for 30.
    • 25. Once Brothers

      12 Oct '10
      Once Brothers is a 2010 sports documentary film written and directed by Michael Tolajian. It was co-produced by ESPN and NBA Entertainment for ESPN's 30 for 30 series. The film chronicles the relationship of two basketball players from SFR Yugoslavia—Vlade Divac and Dražen Petrović. The duo played together on the Yugoslavia national basketball team from 1986 to 1990 and were at one time close friends, but the Yugoslav Wars drove them apart emotionally, as they came from opposing sides.