8.5/103,489 votesLoading...#1 - Once Brothers
Season 1 Episode 25 - Aired 10/12/2010
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: N/A
8.5/101,410 votesLoading...#2 - Survive and Advance
Season 2 Episode 7 - Aired 3/17/2013
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: N/A
8.4/103,472 votesLoading...#3 - The Two Escobars
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 6/22/2010
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)
Director: Jeff Zimbalist, Michael Zimbalist
Writer: Jeff Zimbalist, Michael Zimbalist
8.2/101,991 votesLoading...#4 - Bad Boys
Season 2 Episode 18 - Aired 4/17/2014
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: N/A
8.2/10897 votesLoading...#5 - Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies - Part 1
Season 3 Episode 16 - Aired 6/11/2017
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: N/A
8.2/10799 votesLoading...#6 - Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies - Part 2
Season 3 Episode 17 - Aired 6/13/2017
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: N/A
8.2/10737 votesLoading...#7 - Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies - Part 3
Season 3 Episode 18 - Aired 6/14/2017
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: N/A
8.1/101,348 votesLoading...#8 - The Best that Never Was
Season 1 Episode 29 - Aired 11/9/2010
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: N/A
8.1/101,705 votesLoading...#9 - You Don't Know Bo
Season 2 Episode 6 - Aired 12/8/2012
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: N/A
8.1/101,141 votesLoading...#10 - Of Miracles and Men
Season 2 Episode 27 - Aired 2/8/2015
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: N/A
8.1/101,469 votesLoading...#11 - Four Falls Of Buffalo
Season 3 Episode 5 - Aired 12/12/2015
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: N/A
8.1/101,019 votesLoading...#12 - The '85 Bears
Season 3 Episode 6 - Aired 2/4/2016
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: N/A
8.0/102,238 votesLoading...#13 - Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 3/14/2010
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: N/A
8.0/101,266 votesLoading...#14 - Fantastic Lies
Season 3 Episode 7 - Aired 3/13/2016
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: N/A
8.0/10271 votesLoading...#15 - Once Upon a Time in Queens Part 1
Season 4 Episode 16 - Aired 9/14/2021
An in-depth examination of the 1986 New York Mets.
Director: Nick Davis
Writer: N/A
7.9/1093 votesLoading...#16 - The Luckiest Guy in the World: Part 1
Season 4 Episode 30 - Aired 6/6/2023
A multi-part film chronicling the colorful life of basketball Hall Of Famer and Grateful Dead superfan Bill Walton.
Director: Steve James
Writer: N/A
7.9/1065 votesLoading...#17 - The Luckiest Guy in the World: Part 4
Season 4 Episode 33 - Aired 6/13/2023
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: N/A
7.8/101,892 votesLoading...#18 - The U
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 12/12/2009
The racial and cultural evolution of Miami during the 1980s as represented within the University of Miami football team.
Director: Billy Corben
Writer: N/A
7.8/10717 votesLoading...#19 - Into the Wind
Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 9/28/2010
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.
Director: Steve Nash, Ezra Holland
Writer: N/A
7.8/101,270 votesLoading...#20 - Nature Boy
Season 3 Episode 24 - Aired 11/7/2017
The life and times of professional wrestling legend Ric Flair.
Director: Rory Karpf
Writer: N/A
7.7/101,693 votesLoading...#21 - June 17, 1994
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 6/16/2010
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: N/A
7.7/101,818 votesLoading...#22 - I Hate Christian Laettner
Season 2 Episode 28 - Aired 3/15/2015
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: N/A
7.7/101,237 votesLoading...#23 - This Magic Moment
Season 3 Episode 8 - Aired 4/14/2016
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]
Director: Gentry Kirby, Erin Leyden
Writer: N/A
7.7/10622 votesLoading...#24 - The Two Bills
Season 3 Episode 25 - Aired 2/1/2018
A look at the relationship between NFL coaches Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick. Co-produced with NFL Films.
Director: Ken Rodgers
Writer: N/A
7.7/1064 votesLoading...#25 - The Luckiest Guy in the World: Part 3
Season 4 Episode 32 - Aired 6/13/2023
Bill Walton was at the top of his game for the Blazers and his play would earn him an MVP, even as he went up against legends like Kareem.
Director: Steve James
Writer: N/A
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!
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,...
Genre:Documentary
Network:ESPN
Best Episodes Summary
"Once Brothers" is the best rated episode of "30 for 30". It scored 8.5/10 based on 3489 votes. Directed by Michael Tolajian and written by N/A, it aired on 10/12/2010. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "Survive and Advance".