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30 for 30

30 for 30

2009Returning Series4 Seasons138 Episodes7.4TMDB
ESPN

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 episodes each, a 13-episode series under the ESPN Films Presents title in 2011–2012, and a series of 30 for 30 Shorts shown through the ESPN.com website. The series has also expanded to include Soccer Stories, which aired in advance of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and audio podcasts. This entry refers to the main Volumes of the series presented by ESPN

Created by: Bill Simmons, Connor Schell, John Dahl

Season 1 Episodes

Browse every episode and jump into details.

Episode 1: King's Ransom

Oct 6, 2009 · 51m

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.

Episode 2: The Band That Wouldn't Die

Oct 13, 2009 · 53m

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.

Episode 3: Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL?

Oct 20, 2009 · 51m

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.

Episode 4: Muhammad and Larry

Oct 27, 2009 · 52m

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.

Episode 5: Without Bias

Nov 3, 2009 · 51m

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.

Episode 6: The Legend of Jimmy the Greek

Nov 10, 2009 · 51m

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.

Episode 7: The U

Dec 12, 2009 · 1h 42m

The racial and cultural evolution of Miami during the 1980s as represented within the University of Miami football team.

Episode 9: Guru of Go

Apr 3, 2010 · 52m

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.

Episode 11: Silly Little Game

Apr 20, 2010 · 51m

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.

Episode 12: Run Ricky Run

Apr 27, 2010 · 52m

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.

Episode 13: The 16th Man

May 4, 2010 · 52m

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.

Episode 14: Straight Outta L.A.

May 11, 2010 · 51m

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

Episode 15: June 17, 1994

Jun 16, 2010 · 51m

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.

Episode 16: The Two Escobars

Jun 22, 2010 · 1h 43m

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)

Episode 17: The Birth of Big Air

Jul 29, 2010 · 51m

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

Episode 18: Jordan Rides the Bus

Aug 24, 2010 · 51m

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

Episode 19: Little Big Men

Aug 31, 2010 · 50m

A look at the Kirkland National Little League team's success at the 1982 Little League World Series, examining why their title win is considered one of the biggest upsets in the event's history.

Episode 20: One Night in Vegas

Sep 7, 2010 · 53m

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.

Episode 21: Unmatched

Sep 14, 2010 · 52m

A look at the rivalry and friendship between tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.

Episode 23: Into the Wind

Sep 28, 2010 · 51m

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.

Episode 25: Once Brothers

Oct 12, 2010 · 1h 20m

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)

Episode 28: Marion Jones: Press Pause

Nov 2, 2010 · 51m

The successful track and field career of Marion Jones, her 2007 admission of performance-enhancing drug use, and subsequent prison sentence.

Episode 29: The Best that Never Was

Nov 9, 2010 · 1h 41m

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)

Episode 30: Pony Excess

Dec 11, 2010 · 1h 42m

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)

Season 1 FAQ

Quick answers about this season's release timeline and episode lineup.

When did 30 for 30 Season 1 premiere?

30 for 30 Season 1 premiered on October 6, 2009.

How many episodes are in 30 for 30 Season 1?

30 for 30 Season 1 has 30 episodes.

What is the first episode of 30 for 30 Season 1?

The season opens with Season 1 Episode 1, "King's Ransom". It aired on October 6, 2009.

Go to Season 1 Episode 1

Where to Watch

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