Storyline

30 for 30 is the title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN, its sister networks, and online highlighting interesting people and events in sports history. This currently includes four "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. The series has also expanded to include Soccer Stories, which aired in advance of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and audio podcasts. This entry refers to the main Volumes of the series presented by ESPN

First Aired

2009-10-06
Last Aired

2024-12-13
Creator

Connor Schell
Genre

Documentary
Seasons

4
Episodes

134
Status

Returning Series
Language

English
Network

ESPN

Keywords:

sports ice hockey sports documentary sports hero

Stream and watch 30 for 30

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

1. King's Ransom

The 1988 trade of Wayne Gretzky from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings and the effect it ha...More

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.Less

51mins 2009-10-06

2. The Band That Wouldn't Die

A profile of Baltimore's love affair with football and the Colts, focusing on the Colts Marching Band....More

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 stayed behind to help promote the eventual return of the NFL to the city.Less

53mins 2009-10-13

3. Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL?

Fresh interviews and archival footage track the life and demise of the United States Football League i...More

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.Less

51mins 2009-10-20

4. Muhammad and Larry

A look at the October 1980 Muhammad Ali–Larry Holmes fight and its impact on both fighters, featuring ...More

A look at the October 1980 Muhammad Ali–Larry Holmes fight and its impact on both fighters, featuring fresh interviews with participants and previously unseen lead-up footage from both fighters' camps.Less

52mins 2009-10-27

5. Without Bias

The death of Len Bias from a cocaine-induced heart attack, two days after Boston selected him as the s...More

The death of Len Bias from a cocaine-induced heart attack, two days after Boston selected him as the second overall pick in the 1986 NBA draft, and its impact on casual drug use, especially by the sports community.Less

51mins 2009-11-03

6. The Legend of Jimmy the Greek

The life of Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder, from his career as a Las Vegas bookmaker to his tenure on The NF...More

The life of Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder, from his career as a Las Vegas bookmaker to his tenure on The NFL Today, from which he was fired in 1988.Less

51mins 2009-11-10

7. The U

The racial and cultural evolution of Miami during the 1980s as represented within the University of Mi...More

The racial and cultural evolution of Miami during the 1980s as represented within the University of Miami football team.Less

102mins 2009-12-12

8. Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks

The impact of Indiana Pacer Reggie Miller on the New York Knicks in the 1990s, specifically focusing o...More

The impact of Indiana Pacer Reggie Miller on the New York Knicks in the 1990s, specifically focusing on the Pacers/Knicks battles in the 1994 and 1995 NBA Playoffs and on Miller's interaction with Knicks fan Spike Lee.Less

69mins 2010-03-14

9. Guru of Go

A profile of Paul Westhead's coaching tenure at Loyola Marymount University (1985–1990), where his Lio...More

A profile of Paul Westhead's coaching tenure at Loyola Marymount University (1985–1990), where his Lions' team was known for its high-scoring run-and-gun offense, use of talented players such as Bo Kimble and Hank Gathers, and a pall cast by Gathers's on-court death in 1990.Less

52mins 2010-04-03

10. No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson

The 1993 trial of Hampton, Virginia, high school athlete Allen Iverson, convicted for his role in a ra...More

The 1993 trial of Hampton, Virginia, high school athlete Allen Iverson, convicted for his role in a racially tinged melee, and its impact on both the community and on Iverson's life.Less

81mins 2010-04-13

11. Silly Little Game

Meeting at New York City's La Rotisserie Francaise restaurant in 1980, a group of writers and academic...More

Meeting at New York City's La Rotisserie Francaise restaurant in 1980, a group of writers and academics develop Rotisserie Fantasy baseball, only to see it take off in popularity and leave them behind.Less

51mins 2010-04-20

12. Run Ricky Run

A profile of Ricky Williams focuses on his brief 2004 departure from the NFL, when he sought self-rede...More

A profile of Ricky Williams focuses on his brief 2004 departure from the NFL, when he sought self-redemption amidst media criticism and fresh rumors of marijuana use.Less

52mins 2010-04-27

13. The 16th Man

How hosting (and winning) the 1995 Rugby World Cup, combined with Nelson Mandela's support of the Spri...More

How hosting (and winning) the 1995 Rugby World Cup, combined with Nelson Mandela's support of the Springboks national team, affected post-apartheid South Africa.Less

52mins 2010-05-04

14. Straight Outta L.A.

The relationship between the Raiders and the minority fan base in Los Angeles during the team's 13 sea...More

The relationship between the Raiders and the minority fan base in Los Angeles during the team's 13 seasons in L.A.Less

51mins 2010-05-11

15. June 17, 1994

Quick-cut archival footage captures the various US sporting events on the day in question and the emot...More

Quick-cut archival footage captures the various US sporting events on the day in question and the emotions they generated, including the opening of the World Cup soccer tournament, the Knicks/Rockets NBA Finals, Arnold Palmer's last round in the U.S. Open, and the New York Rangers' Stanley Cup victory celebration. One event, however, overshadows them all: O. J. Simpson's run from the police.Less

51mins 2010-06-16

16. The Two Escobars

The lives of soccer player Andrés Escobar and drug lord Pablo Escobar; the intertwining of crime and s...More

The lives of soccer player Andrés Escobar and drug lord Pablo Escobar; the intertwining of crime and soccer in their native Colombia; and the connections between the deaths of both men. (2 hours in length)Less

103mins 2010-06-22

17. The Birth of Big Air

The life of Mat Hoffman and his 25-year career of advancing, in creative and promotional avenues, BMX ...More

The life of Mat Hoffman and his 25-year career of advancing, in creative and promotional avenues, BMX riding.Less

51mins 2010-07-29

18. Jordan Rides the Bus

Motivated by the dream his late father had for him, Michael Jordan retires from basketball and has a b...More

Motivated by the dream his late father had for him, Michael Jordan retires from basketball and has a brief career in minor league baseball.Less

51mins 2010-08-24

19. Little Big Men

A look at the Kirkland National Little League team's success at the 1982 Little League World Series, e...More

A look at the Kirkland National Little League team's success at the 1982 Little League World Series, examining why their title win is considered one of the biggest upsets in the event's history.Less

50mins 2010-08-31

20. One Night in Vegas

The friendship of boxer Mike Tyson and rapper Tupac Shakur and the night of September 7, 1996, when Sh...More

The friendship of boxer Mike Tyson and rapper Tupac Shakur and the night of September 7, 1996, when Shakur was murdered after attending the Tyson-Bruce Seldon fight in Las Vegas.Less

53mins 2010-09-07

21. Unmatched

A look at the rivalry and friendship between tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.

A look at the rivalry and friendship between tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.Less

52mins 2010-09-14

22. The House of Steinbrenner

The legacy of George Steinbrenner's ownership of the New York Yankees.

The legacy of George Steinbrenner's ownership of the New York Yankees.Less

51mins 2010-09-21

23. Into the Wind

Terry Fox's attempt to run 5,373 kilometres (3,339 mi) across Canada in support of fundraising for can...More

Terry Fox's attempt to run 5,373 kilometres (3,339 mi) across Canada in support of fundraising for cancer research captures the attention of his fellow Canadians and the world.Less

51mins 2010-09-28

24. Four Days In October

The remarkable comeback of the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees in the 2004 ALCS.

The remarkable comeback of the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees in the 2004 ALCS.Less

51mins 2010-10-05

25. Once Brothers

The story of Croatian Dražen Petrović and Serbian Vlade Divac, NBA players and Yugoslavian national te...More

The story of Croatian Dražen Petrović and Serbian Vlade Divac, NBA players and Yugoslavian national teammates, and how upheaval in their homeland adversely and irretrievably affected their friendship. (90 minutes in length)Less

80mins 2010-10-12

26. Tim Richmond: To the Limit

The career of NASCAR driver Tim Richmond, his flamboyant lifestyle, and his 1989 death from AIDS.

The career of NASCAR driver Tim Richmond, his flamboyant lifestyle, and his 1989 death from AIDS.Less

51mins 2010-10-19

27. Fernando Nation

The euphoria created by Fernando Valenzuela's 1981 arrival with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The euphoria created by Fernando Valenzuela's 1981 arrival with the Los Angeles Dodgers.Less

51mins 2010-10-26

28. Marion Jones: Press Pause

The successful track and field career of Marion Jones, her 2007 admission of performance-enhancing dru...More

The successful track and field career of Marion Jones, her 2007 admission of performance-enhancing drug use, and subsequent prison sentence.Less

51mins 2010-11-02

29. The Best that Never Was

The 1981 recruiting of high school football player Marcus Dupree by multiple big-time college programs...More

The 1981 recruiting of high school football player Marcus Dupree by multiple big-time college programs, his resulting injury-prone college and professional career, and how his pursuit by college and USFL teams changed the recruiting process. (2 hours in length)Less

101mins 2010-11-09

30. Pony Excess

The rise, fall, and rebirth of the SMU Mustangs football program, which received a 1-year "death penal...More

The rise, fall, and rebirth of the SMU Mustangs football program, which received a 1-year "death penalty" for major infractions after former SMU player David Stanley blew the whistle on the long-suspected program. Patrick Duffy, known for starring in TV's Dallas at the time of the scandal, narrates. (2 hours in length)Less