Free Spirits tells the colorful story of the Spirits of St. Louis – an entertaining and at times controversial team featuring stars like Marvin "Bad News" Barnes and James "Fly" Williams with an upstart sportscaster named Bob Costas calling the play-by-play.
In June of 2012, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat made good on a promise to deliver a championship to the basketball fans of South Florida. It seemed unlikely that they would ever be able to match the drama and the intensity of that title run in an encore performance. But this was no ordinary basketball team. From the opening night of the 2012-13 NBA season, the Heat were determined to prove that not only were they up for the daunting challenge to repeat as champs but they were also destined to become one of the most successful and celebrated teams in history. No one could have anticipated the breathtaking 27 game winning streak that would catapult the Miami Heat into one of the biggest stories of the year. And after sweeping the Milwaukee Bucks, dispatching the Chicago Bulls and outlasting the Indiana Pacers, Miami would take home their second consecutive title after an epic seven game series with the San Antonio Spurs.
Every NBA star can tell you exactly how they felt on the day they were drafted. It’s a time of anticipation and excitement as they are about to fulfill their ultimate dream: joining the NBA elite! Some, like Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan, have had hall of fame careers. Others such as LeBron James, Dwight Howard and Chris Paul are still writing their own legends. Each player has etched a unique path to stardom, but how did it all begin? In this action-packed program, the NBA takes you back in time, with rare high school and even youth basketball footage of some of your favorite superstars. Go behind the scenes to draft day and watch all-time greats like Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade immediately electrify fans – and learn some hard lessons along the way that helped them become the incredible players they are today.
This video features more than 40 years of rarely-seen footage of the New York Knickerbockers, with a special focus on the championship teams of 1970 and 1973.
In the late 1990s, DJ Set Free, had the idea to set some streetball highlights to a soundtrack of emerging rap music. The results culminated in the And1 Mixtape, a series of VHS tapes that forever transformed the game of basketball.
A 31-year quest for the Dallas Mavericks and their fans ended on a Sunday night in June in Miami as the team hoisted the Larry O Brien NBA Championship Trophy, defeating a Miami Heat team many thought were too talented to lose. Led by 2011 NBA Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavericks overcame the Heat to win the first title in franchise history. Relive every moment in this historic series, from an epic 15-point comeback on the road in Game 2, to the Jason Terry two huge three-pointers down the stretch of Game 5, to an emotional Nowitzki mad dash to the locker room after the buzzer sounded in Game 6 confirming the Mavericks Championship. Now you can relive this historic series with this definitive Collectors Set of 6 DVD. Own each game in its entirety, with over 10 hours of content, including exclusive bonus features!
Raw and unflinching examination of the courageous life of basketball star and social justice activist Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. Born Chris Jackson, he overcame tremendous adversity to reach the NBA and found his true calling when he converted to Islam. His decision not to stand for the national anthem, however, turned him from prodigy to pariah. Told candidly by Abdul-Rauf himself more than 20 years later it’s the remarkable story of one man who kept the faith and paved the way for a social justice movement.
Using unprecedented Olympic footage and behind-the-scenes material, The Redeem Team tells the story of the US Olympic Men's Basketball Team’s quest for gold at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing following the previous team’s shocking performance four years earlier in Athens.
Every year they gather from tiny subsistence villages on Alaska’s Bering Sea Coast, traveling hundreds of miles on bush planes to compete on the biggest stage they will ever know — the All-Native District Basketball Tournament. The hope of Toksook Bay is Byron Nicholai, a 16-year-old Yup’ik eskimo who is determined to lead his village to the championship. Byron’s father abandoned him when he was 14 and never taught him how to hunt in the traditional Yupik way. For Byron, this tournament isn’t just about basketball—it’s a way to bring pride to his family and community.
Interspersed with interviews from luminaries including Dr. J, Oscar Robertson, Bill Cosby, Jerry West, Mannie Jackson, Marques Haynes, Ernie Banks, and Dr. Jack Ramsay, the story spans decades and shows the widespread influence of Goose on prominent sports, entertainment and business figures. Mannie Jackson presents the untold story of an American icon who changed the game of basketball forever and inspired an entire generation along the way.
An in-depth look at the legendary point guards of New York City who honed their craft and developed their legendary showmanship in the 1980s and ’90s. The documentary spotlights the ascent of Rafer Alston, Kenny Anderson, Mark Jackson, Stephon Marbury, God Shammgod, Kenny Smith, Rod Strickland and Dwayne “Pearl” Washington in the midst of a cultural renaissance.
A championship high school basketball team provides pride, tradition and hope for an African American community struggling to survive in the middle of one of the wealthiest communities in America - The Hamptons.
An immersive documentary film featuring behind-the-scenes access to some of basketball’s future stars competing in the G League – the NBA's developmental league – as they try and achieve their lifelong dream of making it to the NBA.
Women of Troy is an HBO Sports documentary exploring the transcendent career of the Cheryl Miller-led USC Trojans and their impact on women’s basketball.
Join two of basketball's greatest legends Red Auerbach and Larry Bird, as they share their knowledge, insight, and experience in this action packed, highly instructive, and entertaining look at "America's Game."
"Through the Fire" chronicles the journey of Coney Island basketball star, Sebastian Telfair, from famed Lincoln High School straight to the NBA.
An American direct-to-video film that features highlights and bloopers from the NBA from its beginning to the film's release in 1989. The film is hosted by broadcaster Marv Albert and former Utah Jazz coach and executive Frank Layden. The video features brief biographies of NBA personalities including Darryl Dawkins, Bill Walton, John Salley and Frank Layden, as well as footage of dolphins playing basketball, a group playing basketball while riding horses and a group playing basketball on ice skates. Recaps of the 1989 and 1990 NBA slam dunk contest are also shown.
Shawn Huff and Ervin Latimer Jr. are the children of African-American basketball players Leon Huff and Ervin Latimer Sr. who arrived in Finland in the 1970s. They have grown up to become Finnish social and political influencers through their fathers' perseverance, ambition and the societal racism that has been passed down through the generations to their sons. The sons channel the experiences of their silent fathers into action and both generations fight for a more equal world.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 WNBA season pivoted into a bubble site in Bradenton, Florida – where 144 players across 12 teams convened to face the rigors of an unrelenting schedule and finish their battle for a championship; all while just as dedicated to amplify social activism in response to the injustices that gripped that same summer. A documentary from ESPN Films.
A deep dive into the iconic players, stories, trades, and legacy of the iconic 1996 NBA draft, which transformed the way basketball was played and the culture of the league; interviews with former NBA players, coaches and executives.