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The Best Episodes of 30 for 30 Season 2

Every episode of 30 for 30 Season 2 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of 30 for 30 Season 2!

Binge this in 1d 9h•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 2 Episode 7 - Survive and Advance
    8.5/10(1495 votes)

    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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  2. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 18 - Bad Boys
    8.2/10(2147 votes)

    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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  3. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 27 - Of Miracles and Men
    8.2/10(1213 votes)

    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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  4. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 6 - You Don't Know Bo
    8.1/10(1811 votes)

    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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  5. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 28 - I Hate Christian Laettner
    7.7/10(1947 votes)

    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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  6. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 2 - 9.79*
    7.6/10(1074 votes)

    S2:E2

    A profile of the Men's 100-meter final at the 1988 Summer Olympics and the lives of the eight men who participated, including Ben Johnson (whose world record of 9.79 seconds was annulled after he tested positive for anabolic steroids) and Carl Lewis (who was awarded the gold medal after Johnson's disqualification).

    Director:Daniel Gordon
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 8 - Elway to Marino
    7.6/10(1266 votes)

    S2:E8

    A look at the 1983 NFL Draft and the six quarterbacks taken in its first round, specifically John Elway (the first overall pick) and Dan Marino (the last QB picked in Round 1). The film features the recollections of Martin Demoff, the agent for both Elway and Marino, who shares a personal diary he kept to chronicle teams' interest in his two future-Hall of Fame clients. This includes the indecision the Baltimore Colts had with drafting Elway with the first pick or trading it away, and how Marino's selection status plummeted after recording weaker senior year statistics and rumors of recreational drug use.

    Director:Ken Rodgers
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 15 - Youngstown Boys
    7.6/10(718 votes)

    S2:E15

    The stories of two Ohio State football figures connected with Youngstown, Ohio, running back Maurice Clarett (a native of the city) and coach Jim Tressel (former head coach at Youngstown State University), their football exploits at OSU (including a national championship in 2002), and their scandalous exits from the school. (2 hours in length)

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

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  9. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 19 - Slaying the Badger
    7.6/10(975 votes)

    S2:E19

    An examination of the competitive nature that teammates Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault exhibited in the 1986 Tour de France; a film based on Richard Moore's book of the same name.

    Director:John Dower
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 17 - Requiem for the Big East
    7.5/10(788 votes)

    S2:E17

    A recollection of the original Big East Conference, from its simple beginnings and regional rivalries to its national prominence as one of the most successful college basketball leagues, and how it ended up fighting for its survival in the 2010s during conference realignment.

    Director:Ezra Edelman
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 24 - Brothers in Exile
    7.5/10(575 votes)

    S2:E24

    The story of Liván and Orlando Hernández, half-brothers who fled Cuba separately and became successful major-league pitchers.

    Director:Mario Díaz
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 16 - The Price of Gold
    7.4/10(1321 votes)

    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

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  13. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 26 - The U Part 2
    7.4/10(842 votes)

    S2:E26

    A sequel to The U profiles the Miami Hurricanes football program and its rise from scandal (and calls for the school to drop the sport) to a national championship, only to see new controversy after booster Nevin Shapiro is revealed to have given improper benefits to the program.

    Director:Billy Corben
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 4 - Benji
    7.3/10(865 votes)

    S2:E4

    The life of Ben Wilson, a well-regarded Chicago high school basketball star, and how his November 1984 murder (one day before the start of his senior season) had a wide-ranging impact.

    Directors:Chike Ozah, Coodie Simmons
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 23 - Brian and The Boz
    7.3/10(1101 votes)

    S2:E23

    Former linebacker Brian Bosworth unveils a storage locker to his son Max that contains memorabilia from his college and brief professional career. The elder Bosworth reflects on his life and career, making note of a emerging second persona, The Boz, that had begun to subsume his life.

    Director:Thaddeus D. Matula
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 12 - Big Shot
    7.2/10(817 votes)

    S2:E12

    The story of how young businessman John Spano struck a deal to purchase the New York Islanders in 1996, only to be later revealed as a fraud and being near financial insolvency.

    Director:Kevin Connolly
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 25 - Rand University
    7.2/10(896 votes)

    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

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  18. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 11 - No Mas
    7.1/10(850 votes)

    S2:E11

    An inside look at the two boxing matches between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Durán in the 1980s, with insight from boxing experts, family members and the two fighters themselves.

    Director:Eric Drath
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 13 - This is What They Want
    7.1/10(649 votes)

    S2:E13

    The story of a 39-year-old Jimmy Connors and his unexpected and extraordinary underdog run at the 1991 US Open, where he played as a wildcard entrant and reached the semifinals of the men's singles draw.

    Directors:Brian Koppelman, David Levien
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 20 - Playing for the Mob
    7.1/10(891 votes)

    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:Joe Lavine, Cayman Grant
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 9 - Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau
    7.0/10(635 votes)

    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

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  22. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 14 - Bernie and Ernie
    7.0/10(607 votes)

    S2:E14

    A profile of Bernard King and Ernie Grunfeld, their decades-long friendship, and their on-court partnership on the University of Tennessee basketball team, better known as the "Ernie and Bernie Show".

    Director:Jason Hehir
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 1 - Broke
    6.9/10(1780 votes)

    S2:E1

    An exploration of the road to fortune in sports and the eventual detours (for various reasons) to financial difficulties and bankruptcy, as experienced by top athletes including Leon Searcy, Andre Rison, Keith McCants, Bernie Kosar, and Cliff Floyd.

    Director:Billy Corben
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 21 - The Day the Series Stopped
    6.9/10(892 votes)

    S2:E21

    A 25-year retrospective of the Loma Prieta earthquake, which struck just before the scheduled start of Game 3 of the 1989 World Series.

    Director:Ryan Fleck
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. 30 for 30 Season 2 Episode 30 - Angry Sky
    6.9/10(433 votes)

    S2:E30

    The story of Nick Piantanida, a New Jersey pet store owner and truck driver whose love of parachuting and skydiving puts him on a quest to break the record for the highest recorded parachute jump.

    Director:Jeff Tremaine
    Writer:Unknown

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Season 2 Ratings Summary

"Survive and Advance" is the best rated episode of "30 for 30" season 2. It scored 8.5/10 based on 1495 votes. Directed by Jonathan Hock and written by Unknown, it aired on 3/17/2013. This episode is rated 0.3 points higher than the second-best, "Bad Boys".