Product Details

• Actors: Wayne Gretzky, Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, Jimmy The Greek, Reggie Miller
• Directors: ESPN Films
• Format: Full Screen
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
• Number of discs: 6
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Team Marketing
• DVD Release Date: November 22, 2011
• Run Time: 1813 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (157 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B005JTTYBI
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,007 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • #34 in Movies & TV > Blu-ray > Documentary

Editorial Reviews

ESPN Films 30 for 30 Limited Edition Collector Set, includes the complete collection of films from the ESPN award-winning 30 for 30 series. Featuring a remarkable group of directors from Academy Award-winners Barry Levinson and Barbara Kopple to Academy Award-nominees John Singleton, Steve James, Ron Shelton, as well as two-time MVP Steve Nash and legendary rapper Ice Cube, each filmmaker provides their unique perspective to some of the most extraordinary sports stories in the last 30 years. Time Magazine applauds this thrilling collection and The Los Angeles Times calls them some of the best films of 2010. Several films were official selections by the Cannes, Sundance, Toronto and Tribeca Film Festivals. The 12-disc set includes all 30 films from the series: Kings Ransom, The Band That Wouldnt Die, Small Potatoes: Who Killed The USFL?, Muhammad & Larry, Without Bias, The Legend of Jimmy The Greek, The U, Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks, Guru of Go, No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson, Silly Little Game, Run Ricky Run, The 16th Man, Straight Outta L.A., June 17th, 1994, The Two Escobars, The Birth of Big Air, Jordan Rides The Bus, Little Big Men, One Night in Vegas, Unmatched, The House of Steinbrenner, Into The Wind, Four Days in October, Once Brothers, Tim Richmond: To The Limit, Fernando Nation, Marion Jones: Press Pause, The Best That Never Was and Pony Excess.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 70 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Every sports fan should own this collection June 6, 2011

By Nelis Perez

Format:DVD

I purchased this box set after catching a few of these films on TV on ESPN and was taken back by how great these documentaries were. It tells 30 of the most compelling, controversial and tragic stories in all of sports. I've seen about 4 on TV and I'm excited to catch the other 26. This is a perfect gift to give any and all sports fans and for more than 30 hours of great sports history the price is great. A must have.

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Yes, The Hat Is Nice! June 22, 2011

By Rick Mallory Jr.

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Alright, just a quick bit of background as to why I purchased this. Long story short: I was seeking the perfect Father's Day gift. This was it! Actually, I had been eyeing this set for quite some time, but then when I discovered it came packaged with a hat, it was a "no brainer." For those of you wondering, yes, the hat is of nice quality and it is comprised of a rich black color, with the "ESPN" logo in vibrant red color. It is excellent to wear around at sporting events, bars, or anywhere to be quite honest.

As for the documentaries offered in the set, both volumes are included here (films 1-30) and packaged quite nicely I might add. Naturally I haven't been able to watch them all yet, but my father and I have sat down and looked at a good deal of them, and all I have to say is that each-and-every film is extremely well done. Now, I might add, I hadn't seen any of these when they aired on television before purchasing this, but I knew of them, and many of my friends swore they were amazing. Well they were absolutely right, because these videos are filled to the brim with both entertainment and informative learning. There were many times where I found myself stunned at just how much unseen and/or rare footage was used within a great deal of the films (and I still have plenty more to look through). Also, for the older generation, a sense of nostalgia or "I remember when that happened," can definitely be felt when viewing these. It's nice to know that one can easily tell some form of "thought" was put into the production, research, and presentation of these documentaries, and because of that, they truly stand out.

Let's say you were on the fence about purchasing this set though due to consideration of the Blu-Ray set (like I was).... Now in case you don't know, these films (all 30) are bundled up in a single volume in Blu-Ray format at Best Buy, and at a cheaper price I might add (which actually shocked me somewhat). I put in quite some thought as to whether to purchase that over this, but two key components led me to this DVD set. First off, the fact that not everyone has a Blu-Ray player these days, and if I wanted to show one of these films at a friend's house or something of that nature, I would be better off not taking the gamble and simply sticking with the DVD format. Also, my laptop doesn't have a Blu-Ray drive (though if yours does, as many do these days, feel free to reconsider), and so I wouldn't be able to watch these films "on the go" on my laptop. The other reason was the hat! I couldn't resist the wonders of the hat! Well in all honesty, while the hat is very nice, in my particular case my father needed a hat, so the inclusion of this was like "two birds with one stone."

Anyway, if you haven't seen these films (like I had not) prior to purchasing, and just don't know if it's worth the cash to invest in this set, I would strongly urge that you just "cave in" and buy this! Any person who considers themselves to be a sports fan will truly appreciate this, and I guarantee you will not be disappointed! :) Read more ›

37 of 46 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!!! May 19, 2011

By Brad

Format:DVD

This was a birthday gift from my girlfriend. I have watched most of the movies but missed a couple. I am excited to sit down and watch the ones I missed. So far my favorite is probably "The Two Escobars". I am still amazed with some of the footage and interviews ESPN was able to get for some of these films. Looks like I have about 30 things to do this summer.

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars ESPN 30 x 30 Is Solid Entertainment June 8, 2011

By C. Coulter

Format:DVD

These represent the BEST sports documentaries since "Hoop Dreams." The one on high school phenom Marcus Dupree is outstanding, heartbreaking American stuff. Watch these and you will learn about America.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have in any sports fan's library June 14, 2011

By W. Hamerman

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've caught a couple of these when they aired and just purchased the full set. These in-depth stories are "required reading" for big sports buffs and I can't wait to catch the ones I missed. A perfect gift for the sports lover in your family or for yourself, you can't go wrong with these.

Update: Now that I've watched more of the series, it's amazing how far in-depth some of the stories go. As a Baltimore Ravens fan I knew the story of the Colts leaving in the middle of the night and the band, but exactly how the band was able to keep their uniforms and the details of the story are amazing. Also seeing some of the raw emotion that still lingers is just amazing. Hands down, these are the best documentaries I've ever watched.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for sports fans April 8, 2012

By LarryO

Format:Blu-ray

First, let me say that I'm a guy that doesn't really like sports. I mean I almost never sit down and watch any kind of game on TV, or go to a sporting event, or know what other guys are talking about when the subject of baseball, football, or basketball comes up. I could name a couple of players in every sport, the ones that everyone else knows, but that is it. So that said, I think this set is nothing short of great. I love documentaries that are well made and take you into a world that you don't know about in a way that makes it fascinating. I've watched documentaries on scrabble, spelling bees, or competitive crossword puzzles and loved them. Most stories have taken an aspect of some sport and told a story that has drawn me in almost immediately. Usually it is an interesting part of a much larger picture. For instance, I know who Wayne Gretzky, the hockey player, is and I have a vague recollection of him coming to the US, but I never knew the story of how it affected the people of Edmonton and all of the drama behind it. Also very interesting to hear him talk about it now. So in summary, I would recommend this set to anyone, man or woman, in the knowledge that they would enjoy it as much as me once they got started. If you are any kind of a real sports fan, you should already have this.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars 27 for 30? August 25, 2012

By N. Campbell

Not quite the entire season - would really like to see the Jimmy the Greek episode - why are 3 shows missing??
3 stars in memory of the fallen ;)
Otherwise - tremendous stuff.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely fantastic August 27, 2011

By The Phantom

Format:DVD

Brilliant short films on all kinds of different sports-related topics. The platitudes written about this set all have real merit: Contained within is some of the best filmmaking of any kind that ever has been produced, and I don't know that another series like this one ever has been released. The included hat is a bit of a throwaway but it's doubtful that anyone would spend this kind of money just to get the hat anyway.