ESPN 30 For 30 This Magic Moment

'This Magic Moment' relives those heady days in the mid-90s when Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway ruled not only pro basketball, but popular culture as well. The two stars deliver delightful but brutally honest testimony, and so do the executives, coaches, teammates, observers and opponents who were there for the stardust and poof! -- the breaking of the spell.

Laced with archival footage, 'This Magic Moment' is not only a trip down memory lane, but also a cautionary fable about what might have been. In the words of Nick Anderson, one of the most compelling figures in the tale, "There are short stories and long stories, and ours was a short ride." Short, yes, but also rich and telling and endlessly entertaining.

The Two Escobars

Pablo Escobar was the richest, most powerful drug kingpin in the world, ruling the Medellín Cartel with an iron fist. Andres Escobar was the biggest soccer star in Colombia. The two were not related, but their fates were inextricably and fatally intertwined. Pablo's drug money had turned Andres' national team into South American champions, favored to win the 1994 World Cup in Los Angeles. It was there, in a game against the US, that Andres committed one of the most shocking mistakes in soccer history, scoring an "own goal" that eliminated his team from the competition and ultimately cost him his life.

The Two Escobars is a riveting examination of the intersection of sports, crime, and politics. For Colombians, soccer was far more than a game: their entire national identity rode on the success or failure of their team. Jeff and Michael Zimbalist's fast and furious documentary plays out on an ever-expanding canvas, painting a fascinating portrait of Pablo, Andres, and a country in the grips of a violent, escalating civil war.

If the video above doesn't work, go here: The Two Escobars

30 For 30 Sole Man

Sonny Vaccaro is one of the sports world's most charismatic, polarizing and influential figures. Now 75, he is still a fast-talking maverick whose zeal for basketball, advocacy for underprivileged kids, and instinct for sales forged an era of unprecedented growth for two pillars of pop culture: basketball and sneakers.

It was Vaccaro who advised agents during the ABA-NBA wars of the 1970s, who launched Nike's "Air Jordan" empire in the 1980s, and who ushered in the professionalization of youth basketball in the 1990s, when players such as Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady, both of whom signed shoe deals brokered by Vaccaro, turned high school games into auditions for the NBA.

"Sole Man" is a definitive, first-hand and unflinching account of how Vaccaro rose from humble Pennsylvania steel town roots to become the most valuable marketing asset in the $13 billion athletic shoe industry. Vaccaro's personal arc mirrors the narrative of basketball's ascent over the last 40 years. It is an era in which James Naismith's creation morphed from a regional game tainted by segregation and gambling into a global enterprise that stretches from Brooklyn to Beijing. And to a staggering degree, the basketball community is really just Six Degrees of Sonny.

30 For 30 Shorts - The Harlem Globetrotters Do Russia

This 30 For 30 tells the story of the Harlem Globetrotters’ mission to Moscow to defuse international hostilities with their trademark levity

Nelson Mandela - The 16th Man

This ESPN documentary details the impact Nelson Mandela had on South Africa's 'Springbok' Rugby Team, and the nation, during the 1995 World Cup.

Winning Time - Reggie Miller vs The New York Knicks

I don't mean to kick the Knicks while they're down, but THIS is the greatest basketball documentary of all time *Kanye shrug*. It's almost impossible to watch this and not want to own a Reggie Miller jersey.

If you're a fan of basketball and you haven't seen it you're not actually a basketball fan. And if you have seen it, you know you want to watch it again. Hit play. You're very welcome.

30 For 30: Benji

'Benji' is a 30 For 30 documentary about basketball player Ben Wilson (aka the Michael Jordan before Michael Jordan) who grew up during the crack era in South Side Chicago with dreams of making the NBA, only to have his life cut short in 1984.

Click X, then click play. If you have trouble playing the video, go here.

30 For 30: 9.79*

The 100-meter men’s final at the 1988 Seoul Games was the fastest and perhaps most thrilling sprint in Olympic history. But within 48 hours, gold medalist Ben Johnson had tested positive for anabolic steroids, and scandal reigned. This one race still haunts the eight men who took part. But what brought them to the starting line? And what happened to them since?

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30 For 30: Broke

All athletes, entertainers, drug dealers and lotto winners should watch this 30 For 30 docco with a pen and pad.
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