30 for 30 backdrop
Documentary

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 23h•Peaking at 10.0/10

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

Airs on
ESPN
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons4

All1234

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Click to reveal
    30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 9 - Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #1 - Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau

    S2:E9

    A chronicling of the life of Eddie Aikau, a big wave surfer and lifeguard whose death served as inspiration to an entire spiritual movement.

    Director:Sam George
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. 30 for 30 Season 3 Episode 5 - Four Falls Of Buffalo
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #2 - 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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. 30 for 30 Season 3 Episode 16 - Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies (1)
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #3 - Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies (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.

    Director:Jim Podhoretz
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. 30 for 30 Season 3 Episode 17 - Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies (2)
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #4 - Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies (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.

    Director:Jim Podhoretz
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. 30 for 30 Season 3 Episode 18 - Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies (3)
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #5 - Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies (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.

    Director:Jim Podhoretz
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. 30 for 30 Season 4 Episode 40 - Dude Perfect: A Very Long Shot
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #6 - Dude Perfect: A Very Long Shot

    S4:E40

    A look at content creators Dude Perfect, going over their dramatic rise and the sacrifices they went through in the realm of sports-themed entertainment.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 WORST Episodes of 30 for 30

    READ
  7. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 10 - No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson
    9.0/10(2 votes)

    #7 - No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson

    S1:E10

    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.

    Director:Steve James
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 16 - The Two Escobars
    9.0/10(1 votes)

    #8 - 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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. 30 for 30 Season 3 Episode 24 - Nature Boy
    9.0/10(1 votes)

    #9 - Nature Boy

    S3:E24

    The life and times of professional wrestling legend Ric Flair.

    Director:Rory Karpf
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. 30 for 30 Season 4 Episode 21 - Shark
    9.0/10(1 votes)

    #10 - Shark

    S4:E21

    This documentary examines the legendary career of professional golfer Greg Norman, and how it was shaped by one stunning day at the Masters Tournament in 1996.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. 30 for 30 Season 4 Episode 30 - The Luckiest Guy in the World: Part 1
    9.0/10(1 votes)

    #11 - The Luckiest Guy in the World: Part 1

    S4:E30

    A multi-part film chronicling the colorful life of basketball Hall Of Famer and Grateful Dead superfan Bill Walton.

    Director:Steve James
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. 30 for 30 Season 4 Episode 31 - The Luckiest Guy in the World: Part 2
    9.0/10(1 votes)

    #12 - The Luckiest Guy in the World: Part 2

    S4:E31

    Bill was part of UCLA’s 88-game winning streak but when it ended,it devastated him. Despite injuries early in the NBA, he was a force to be reckoned with.

    Director:Steve James
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  13. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 23 - Into the Wind
    8.7/10(3 votes)

    #13 - 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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  14. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 20 - One Night in Vegas
    8.5/10(2 votes)

    #14 - One Night in Vegas

    S1:E20

    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.

    Director:Reggie Rock Bythewood
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  15. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 8 - Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #15 - 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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  16. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 16 - The Price of Gold
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #16 - The Price of Gold

    S2:E16

    A profile of a January 6, 1994, incident at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, where an unknown attacker strikes entrant Nancy Kerrigan — an assailant that is later revealed to be a hit man hired by the ex-husband of Kerrigan's rival, Tonya Harding, as part of a plan to prevent Kerrigan from competing in the 1994 Winter Olympics.

    Director:Nanette Burstein
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  17. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 20 - Playing for the Mob
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #17 - Playing for the Mob

    S2:E20

    How Mafia associate Henry Hill orchestrated a point-shaving scheme involving Boston College basketball. Narrated by Ray Liotta, who portrayed Hill in Goodfellas.

    Directors:Cayman Grant, Joe Lavine
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  18. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 25 - Rand University
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #18 - Rand University

    S2:E25

    An exploration of former NFL receiver Randy Moss and his humble (and humbling) origins in Rand, West Virginia.

    Director:Marquis Daisy
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  19. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 28 - I Hate Christian Laettner
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #19 - 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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  20. 30 for 30 Season 3 Episode 9 - Believeland
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #20 - Believeland

    S3:E9

    A look at the sports curse that befell Cleveland since the NFL's Browns last brought a major pro sports championship to the Ohio city in 1964. The film debuted one month before LeBron James and the Cavaliers' won the 2016 NBA Finals, after which the film was re-released with an updated ending on June 30, 2016.[64]

    Director:Andrew Billman
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  21. 30 for 30 Season 3 Episode 10 - Doc & Darryl
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #21 - Doc & Darryl

    S3:E10

    The connection between the lives and careers of former New York Mets Dwight "Doc" Gooden and Darryl Strawberry.

    Directors:Judd Apatow, Michael Bonfiglio
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  22. 30 for 30 Season 4 Episode 9 - The Life and Trials of Oscar Pistorius Part 1
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #22 - The Life and Trials of Oscar Pistorius Part 1

    S4:E9

    Part 1 of 4. The life of South African Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius, from his childhood during the last days of apartheid, to worldwide celebrity as the first double-leg amputee to compete in the able-bodied Olympics, to his conviction for killing his girlfriend.

    Director:Daniel Gordon
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  23. 30 for 30 Season 4 Episode 10 - The Life and Trials of Oscar Pistorius Part 2
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #23 - The Life and Trials of Oscar Pistorius Part 2

    S4:E10

    Part 2 of 4. The life of South African Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius, from his childhood during the last days of apartheid, to worldwide celebrity as the first double-leg amputee to compete in the able-bodied Olympics, to his conviction for killing his girlfriend.

    Director:Daniel Gordon
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  24. 30 for 30 Season 4 Episode 33 - The Luckiest Guy in the World: Part 4
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #24 - The Luckiest Guy in the World: Part 4

    S4:E33

    The decision to leave the Trail Blazers was tough for Bill and a failed stint at the Clippers would lead him to team up with the legendary Larry Bird.

    Director:Steve James
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  25. 30 for 30 Season 4 Episode 42 - The New York Sack Exchange
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #25 - 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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Best Episodes Summary

"Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau" is the best rated episode of "30 for 30". It scored 10/10 based on 1 votes. Directed by Sam George and written by Unknown, it aired on 10/1/2013. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "Four Falls Of Buffalo".