5. June 17, 1994
Brett Morgen (The Kid Stays in the Picture, Chicago 10, Nimrod Nation) delivers by far the most ambitious “30 for 30.” June 17, 1994 has no narrator or exposition; instead, Morgen uses only news footage of one strange summer day nearly two decades ago to launch viewers on a surprisingly transporting experience. From Arnold Palmer’s final U.S. Open round, to the New York Rangers’ Stanley Cup celebration, to a NBA Finals Game 5 and the opening of the World Cup in Chicago, all trumped by the surreal O.J. Simpson televised police pursuit. Morgen carefully builds toward the surreal last moments of the Simpson chase, when Angelenos hit overpasses to cheer on O.J. as the White Bronco sped past. A subtly brilliant take on time, spectatorship, and media saturation.

4. Fab Five
The University of Michigan’s Fab Five could never happen today; in the one-and-done era of college basketball stars, no program could land five players as talented as Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson in a single recruiting class. Two decades after turning college hoops upside down, the Fab Five’s edge and swagger seem utterly contemporary, which is a testament to how ahead of their time they were. Jason Hehir, a veteran director and producer for Ultimate Fighting Championship, lets four of the players speak for themselves (Chris Webber declined to participate) on everything from their captivating tourney runs, their opinion of Christian Laettner, Webber’s infamous time-out, and the pay-for-play scandal that led Michigan to vacate their consecutive NCAA tourney runner-up finishes. The film is an essential document of a defining moment of sports culture and adds evidence that Jalen Rose should probably be the next president.

3. Without Bias
On June 17, 1986, Len Bias became the second overall pick of the NBA draft, joining the reigning champion Boston Celtics. Less than 36 hours later, Bias was dead, his heart stopped by a cocaine overdose. Bias’ story is punishingly sad and well-known, but “Without Bias” extracts commentary of devastating clarity on the part of family and friends, and Kirk Fraser’s quiet direction allows Bias’ brilliant potential and the shock of his death to speak for themselves.

2. No Crossover
Steve James made one of the greatest documentaries, sports or otherwise, in Hoop Dreams. So it’s not suprising that his take on Allen Iverson, with whom he shares a hometown, is near the top of the list. Iverson, a prep star in Hampton, Virginia, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his disputed role in a bowling-alley brawl. Iverson and his friends were black; the other side in the brawl were white. The brawl takes on a Rashomon vibe, and what one interviewee precisely terms “a fucked-up situation” ensues when Iverson and several friends are charged with serious offenses. James brilliantly investigates the seams of identity, race, and community strained by Iverson’s trial, conviction, and subsequent pardon, with an added charge from his own ties to home.

1. The Two Escobars
The stakes in a typical sports documentary are usually winning or losing; in rare cases the question of living or dying can edge into the frame. But The Two Escobars, the best of the “30 for 30s,” thoroughly captures a time and a place — Colombia, at the height of its narco-fueld violence — where soccer became a matter of life or death. As Pablo Escobar and other cartel kingpins poured cocaine millions into domestic clubs, Colombia’s national club shot up the FIFA rankings thanks to stars like Carlos Valderrama, Rene Higuita, and Andres Escobar (no relation to Pablo). The rise and fall of Pablo Escobar and Colombian soccer are explored with unmatched depth — directors Jeff and Michael Zimbalist (Jeff made Favela Rising, and the bros are at work on a Pelé biopic) manage to get inside a Colombian prison to interview cartel hitmen — making this one of the best sports documentaries of the last decade.