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The Best Episodes of 30 for 30

Every episode of 30 for 30 ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of 30 for 30!

Binge this in 6d 22h•Peaking at 9.0/10

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

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    30 for 30 Season 4 Episode 41 - Stolen Gold
    9.0/10(1 votes)

    #1 - Stolen Gold

    S4:E41

    Ramón Torres confronts a deception within the Spanish basketball ID team he captained at the 2000 Summer Paralympics: Many of his teammates were revealed to not actually have intellectual disabilities (and were stripped of their gold-medal win as a result).

    Director:Suemay Oram
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 25 - Once Brothers
    8.5/10(3563 votes)

    #2 - Once Brothers

    S1:E25

    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)

    Director:Michael Tolajian
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 7 - Survive and Advance
    8.5/10(1468 votes)

    #3 - Survive and Advance

    S2:E7

    A look at the NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team's successful and improbable championship runs through the 1983 ACC and the 1983 NCAA tournaments. (2 hrs in length)

    Director:Jonathan Hock
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 16 - The Two Escobars
    8.4/10(3520 votes)

    #4 - The Two Escobars

    S1:E16

    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)

    Directors:Jeff Zimbalist, Michael Zimbalist
    Writers:Jeff Zimbalist, Michael Zimbalist

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  5. 30 for 30 Season 3 Episode 17 - Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies - Part 2
    8.3/10(854 votes)

    #5 - Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies - Part 2

    S3:E17

    The Celtics-Lakers rivalry ramps up in the 1984 Finals as a cast of characters–led by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson–who changed the NBA finally went head-to-head for a title. Directed by Jim Podhoretz and produced by Jonathan Hock.

    Director:Jim Podhoretz
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 18 - Bad Boys
    8.2/10(2082 votes)

    #6 - Bad Boys

    S2:E18

    A look back at the Detroit Pistons of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Narrated by rapper Kid Rock, a native of nearby Romeo, Michigan. (2 hours in length)

    Director:Zak Levitt
    Writer:Unknown

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    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 WORST Episodes of 30 for 30

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  7. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 27 - Of Miracles and Men
    8.2/10(1186 votes)

    #7 - Of Miracles and Men

    S2:E27

    An exploration of the Miracle on Ice from the point of view of the defeated Soviet Union team. The film features defenseman Viacheslav Fetisov returning to Lake Placid to recollect his team's defeat.

    Director:Jonathan Hock
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. 30 for 30 Season 3 Episode 6 - The '85 Bears
    8.2/10(1080 votes)

    #8 - The '85 Bears

    S3:E6

    A 30-year retrospective on the 1985 Chicago Bears, from how they were assembled to their swaggering, dominant run to Super Bowl victory.

    Director:Jason Hehir
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. 30 for 30 Season 3 Episode 16 - Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies - Part 1
    8.2/10(982 votes)

    #9 - Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies - Part 1

    S3:E16

    A three-part series, initially airing on consecutive nights, exploring the Celtics–Lakers rivalry, focusing mainly on the 1980s era of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson but also examining the entire history of the NBA through the rivalry. (Parts 1 & 3: 2 hours in length; Part 2: 1 hour in length)

    Director:Jim Podhoretz
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. 30 for 30 Season 3 Episode 18 - Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies - Part 3
    8.2/10(792 votes)

    #10 - Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies - Part 3

    S3:E18

    Conclusion of a look at the 1980s Celtics-Lakers rivalry, focusing on the three years after the 1984 NBA Finals, as the teams’ disdain for each other gradually turns to respect while meeting in two more Finals. From filmmakers Jim Podhoretz and Jon Hock.

    Director:Jim Podhoretz
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 29 - The Best that Never Was
    8.1/10(1400 votes)

    #11 - The Best that Never Was

    S1:E29

    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)

    Director:Jonathan Hock
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 6 - You Don't Know Bo
    8.1/10(1779 votes)

    #12 - You Don't Know Bo

    S2:E6

    A profile of Bo Jackson and how his college and professional feats in two sports (baseball and football) captured the public's imagination and made Jackson a cultural (and marketing) icon.

    Director:Michael Bonfiglio
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. 30 for 30 Season 3 Episode 5 - Four Falls Of Buffalo
    8.1/10(1589 votes)

    #13 - Four Falls Of Buffalo

    S3:E5

    A profile of the Buffalo Bills teams of the early 1990s, when the franchise became the first team to play in—and lose—four consecutive Super Bowls.

    Director:Ken Rodgers
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 8 - Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks
    8.0/10(2354 votes)

    #14 - Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks

    S1:E8

    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.

    Director:Dan Klores
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. 30 for 30 Season 3 Episode 7 - Fantastic Lies
    8.0/10(1303 votes)

    #15 - Fantastic Lies

    S3:E7

    A 10-year retrospective of the Duke lacrosse case, in which a party thrown by members of the school's men's lacrosse team led to an accusation of rape—a claim that, though later proven to be false, ignited both a firestorm that damaged the school's prestige and an investigation that ruined careers.

    Director:Marina Zenovich
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. 30 for 30 Season 4 Episode 16 - Once Upon a Time in Queens Part 1
    8.0/10(365 votes)

    #16 - Once Upon a Time in Queens Part 1

    S4:E16

    An in-depth examination of the 1986 New York Mets.

    Director:Nick Davis
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. 30 for 30 Season 4 Episode 42 - The New York Sack Exchange
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #17 - The New York Sack Exchange

    S4:E42

    A nostalgic look back at the sensational defensive line of the 1980s New York Jets. This group of larger-than-life personalities not only terrorized quarterbacks but also captivated an entire city with their flamboyant style and relentless drive.

    Director:Ken Rodgers
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 7 - The U
    7.8/10(1975 votes)

    #18 - The U

    S1:E7

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

    Director:Billy Corben
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. 30 for 30 Season 3 Episode 24 - Nature Boy
    7.8/10(1340 votes)

    #19 - Nature Boy

    S3:E24

    The life and times of professional wrestling legend Ric Flair.

    Director:Rory Karpf
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 15 - June 17, 1994
    7.7/10(1795 votes)

    #20 - June 17, 1994

    S1:E15

    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.

    Director:Brett Morgen
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 23 - Into the Wind
    7.7/10(750 votes)

    #21 - Into the Wind

    S1:E23

    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.

    Directors:Steve Nash, Ezra Holland
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 28 - I Hate Christian Laettner
    7.7/10(1900 votes)

    #22 - I Hate Christian Laettner

    S2:E28

    A look at the life and basketball career of Christian Laettner and the intense dislike some fans still harbor for the former Duke University and NBA star.

    Director:Rory Karpf
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. 30 for 30 Season 3 Episode 8 - This Magic Moment
    7.7/10(1340 votes)

    #23 - This Magic Moment

    S3:E8

    A profile of the Orlando Magic teams of the mid-1990s, led by Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway, who gained prominence both on the NBA hardwoods and in popular culture, before Shaq's departure to the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency and injury issues for Penny ended the Magic's budding dynasty before it could ever take flight.[62]

    Directors:Erin Leyden, Gentry Kirby
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. 30 for 30 Season 3 Episode 25 - The Two Bills
    7.7/10(671 votes)

    #24 - The Two Bills

    S3:E25

    A look at the relationship between NFL coaches Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick. Co-produced with NFL Films.

    Director:Ken Rodgers
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. 30 for 30 Season 4 Episode 1 - Rodman: For Better or Worse
    7.7/10(979 votes)

    #25 - Rodman: For Better or Worse

    S4:E1

    The unfettered and definitive look at the life and career of Dennis Rodman.

    Director:Todd Kapostasy
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"Stolen Gold" is the best rated episode of "30 for 30". It scored 9/10 based on 1 votes. Directed by Suemay Oram and written by Unknown, it aired on 9/17/2024. This episode scored 0.5 points higher than the second highest rated, "Once Brothers".