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The Best Episodes of 30 for 30 Season 1

Every episode of 30 for 30 Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of 30 for 30 Season 1!

Binge this in 1d 2h•Peaking at 8.5/10

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
    30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 25 - Once Brothers
    8.5/10(3596 votes)

    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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  2. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 16 - The Two Escobars
    8.4/10(3531 votes)

    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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  3. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 29 - The Best that Never Was
    8.1/10(1416 votes)

    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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  4. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 8 - Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks
    8.0/10(2414 votes)

    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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  5. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 7 - The U
    7.9/10(2019 votes)

    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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  6. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 15 - June 17, 1994
    7.7/10(1843 votes)

    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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  7. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 23 - Into the Wind
    7.7/10(759 votes)

    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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  8. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 13 - The 16th Man
    7.6/10(812 votes)

    S1:E13

    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.

    Director:Cliff Bestall
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 30 - Pony Excess
    7.6/10(1230 votes)

    S1:E30

    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)

    Director:Thaddeus D. Matula
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 24 - Four Days In October
    7.4/10(1525 votes)

    S1:E24

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

    Director:Gary Waksman
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 3 - Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL?
    7.3/10(1408 votes)

    S1:E3

    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.

    Director:Michael Tollin
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 9 - Guru of Go
    7.3/10(1147 votes)

    S1:E9

    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.

    Director:Bill Couturié
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 5 - Without Bias
    7.2/10(1453 votes)

    S1:E5

    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.

    Director:Kirk Fraser
    Writers:Sam Bardley, Kirk Fraser

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  14. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 4 - Muhammad and Larry
    7.0/10(987 votes)

    S1:E4

    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.

    Directors:Bradley Kaplan, Albert Maysles
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 12 - Run Ricky Run
    7.0/10(1315 votes)

    S1:E12

    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.

    Directors:Royce Toni, Sean Pamphilon
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 17 - The Birth of Big Air
    7.0/10(896 votes)

    S1:E17

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

    Director:Jeff Tremaine
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 10 - No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson
    6.9/10(1538 votes)

    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

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  18. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 18 - Jordan Rides the Bus
    6.8/10(1724 votes)

    S1:E18

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

    Director:Ron Shelton
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 27 - Fernando Nation
    6.8/10(814 votes)

    S1:E27

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

    Director:Cruz Angeles
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 1 - King's Ransom
    6.7/10(1718 votes)

    S1:E1

    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.

    Director:Peter Berg
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 2 - The Band That Wouldn't Die
    6.7/10(1088 votes)

    S1:E2

    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.

    Director:Barry Levinson
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 14 - Straight Outta L.A.
    6.6/10(1176 votes)

    S1:E14

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

    Director:Ice Cube
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 26 - Tim Richmond: To the Limit
    6.6/10(641 votes)

    S1:E26

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

    Director:Rory Karpf
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 6 - The Legend of Jimmy the Greek
    6.5/10(1004 votes)

    S1:E6

    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.

    Director:Fritz Mitchell
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. 30 for 30 Season 1 Episode 11 - Silly Little Game
    6.4/10(909 votes)

    S1:E11

    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.

    Directors:Adam Kurland, Lucas Jansen
    Writer:Unknown

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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"Once Brothers" is the best rated episode of "30 for 30" season 1. It scored 8.5/10 based on 3596 votes. Directed by Michael Tolajian and written by Unknown, it aired on 10/12/2010. This episode is rated 0.1 points higher than the second-best, "The Two Escobars".