I think that Reggie and Spike is definitely pretty huge, especially considering how much actual footage they had of what was really being said. I feel like there was a relatively appropriate amount of time spent on it...but yea I mean they really only covered half the rivalry and there were some regular season moments as well.

I remember one year, regular season...Reggie Miller misses two free-throws at the Garden with the game on the line. Then Chris Dudley, the worst in the league, makes both of his. Unbelievable. That's like a 400:1 shot. (10% * 10% * 50% * 50% DUCY?).

yeah but this series didn't even need a subplot for it to be talked about. The teams hated each other and they fought like hell. It was basically like Celtics-Lakers w/o it being in the Finals.

Maybe not for you or me, no.

Remember these are produced independently, so the director took creative license in focusing on a very unique aspect of the rivalry that separated it from any others. There have been many, many rivalries in the NBA and all of sport, but only this one claims the Spike Lee/Reggie Miller one, which also had the whole city vs. hick as a convenient subplot/backdrop/talking point. To say "it didn't need it" doesn't take into account that it has to play to a mass audience, not just NBA enthusiasts. Not to mention the idea of these documentaries is to tell a story, not some NBA TV vanilla playoff recap.

Having said that, the 1995 playoffs were a very compelling year for the sport and one of my favorites, and I've almost finished crafting a post addressing specifically them, one I've been kicking around for weeks, well before this show first ran. The problem is it itself is more of a recap than it is something to foster discussion, but yet in-depth enough that I don't want to "waste" it posting in the NBA thread and risk that it would almost immediately get buried underneath an avalanche of posts by tbach and Dschmeidreu and his gimmick accounts talking to each other as if they are different posters. I'm more likely to just make it an OP to see if it goes anywhere and if nothing else it will sink in semi-dignified fashion.

far points tuq. I realize that my own taste for that doc vary from casual fans, but I thought it was a shame they focused on that subplot almost solely.

I don't think you need to find and latch onto any one subplot and I think it's cheap when documentary makers do that. Dudd is semi-right though in that it might not be worth talking about if there aren't ANY interesting sub-plots. As they sort-of said in the film, is Bulls-Celtics '09 worth making a doc over?

Knicks-Heat, despite how you may feel about actually having to sit through the games if you weren't a fan, is absurdly rich material for a doc or even as the basis for like a fictional 4-season HBO series. The slick and central figure who "promised" a championship leaving a year early to go re-build somewhere else. The two very similar centers from the same school who were good friends off-court. The brawls that changed the entire trajectory of the rest of the playoffs in those years.

The ex-teammates (Mourning and Johnson) who had some sort of bitterness between them, allegedly about a woman, swinging it out with 1 second to play in Game 4 with the 5'9" white coach scrapping around at the bottom of the heap. The fact that Miami would have easily won that deciding Game 5 in Miami, but now, knowing that Mourning would be suspended, Riley completely resigns himself to the fact that they're going to lose and tells Mourning "you just cost us the ****ing series". Then Riley goes and stands in the MSG tunnel with his hands against the wall, head down, trying to compose himself and knowing it's a lost cause.

The fact that the best team in the East in 1999 got beaten in 5 games on a shot that bounced off the rim and backboard.

The younger of the Georgetown centers going for an ill-advised steal on his more experienced elder, who is then able to score the final points of the rivalry (with 1:30 still left to play lol) on an easy dunk.

It's just sick.

Please do...

The reason Bulls-C's from 2009 isn't worthy of a doc is that they were just close games. None of the players hated each other and they weren't beating each other up. The games were super close and went to OT often, but there wasn't other levels of team drama there other than the closeness of the games.

Why aren't these docs shown more regularly for crying out loud?

I can't wait for the Iverson doc.

If you have morals keep a bucket nearby.

By last two, I meant the last two in my rankings, the Jimmy the Greek one and the one about the Colts band.

word, nothing in a million years will ever touch Hoop Dreams.

I remember you mentioning this to me and definitely look forward to it. Even though I was pretty young at the time. I very clearly remember this era of NBA basketball. Please to be making OP soon

Bump to remind people that Hank Gathers 30 for 30 airs today at 4:00 on ABC

Bump to remind. Should be a good documentary.

WTF, I didn't see this promoted at all, weird. Presumably it will re-air a thousand times but I'm looking forward to this. Anyone see it today?

EDIT: my old man mentioned to me that the guy Gathers almost fell on in that game is Erik Spoelstra, who is now head coach of the Heat. Not sure if that was referenced or not.

wasn't on @4 on ABC in my area. I run so bad at televised sports documentaries these last few days

I was surprised that they showed the footage of him collapsing, trying to get back up, and essentially dying. It's such a ghoulish feeling watching the last moments of someone's lie.

Just finished it. They won their second round game against Michigan with a score of 149-115. So absurd

i need to find this, was looking forward to seeing this one more than any

fwiw, all of the 30 for 30s are on itunes for like $5.

I really liked it some Couturié’s direction seemed unnecessary, but it was such a great story it doesn't matter. If you don't tear up a little during the documentary you are probably soulless.

Next week is the Iverson one directed by the director of Hoop Dreams and it is supposed to be fantastic.

yeah the Shakespeare stuff seemed unnecessary.

I teared up a little bit too. Kimble and Hank's brother seem like good dudes.

Westphal seems a bit odd, but he's interesting.

he's now the head coach of the women's team at Oregon.

guy's had some career...

Bump for "No Crossover" premiering tonight at 8pm

The Simmons podcast with Steve James (director of "No Crossover" and most famous for "Hoop Dreams") was very good

Seriously disappointed with the Iverson episode.