During the Espn anniversary year that launched the "30 for 30" documentary series, one of the most interesting things about the films was how little they resembled one another. All were about sports (mostly), and all were about things that happened during the first 30 years that Espn was in business, but beyond that they felt completely distinct from one another, whether the narration-less video collage of "June 17, 1994," the kinetic energy of "Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks," or the mournful quality of "The Two Escobars." As Espn has kept the series alive well past that anniversary year — including the brief stint when new films were presented under the "Espn Films Presents" banner — certain formulas have crept in, particularly when it comes to films about iconic teams. They're still fun, still full of great archival footage and wonderful memories from the team members in present-day, but movies like "The Fab Five,...
- 10/21/2014
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
When the Garden Was Eden
Directed by Michael Rapaport
USA, 2014
It was Game 5 of the 1970 NBA finals. A tight series between the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks might have turned when Knicks star Willis Reed went down with a leg injury. Reed—the captain of the team, the league Mvp, and the toughest bastard in basketball—missed the rest of the game (a Knicks win), as well as the next won (which the Lakers took), and he was officially listed as unlikely to play in the seventh and deciding game of the series.
It wasn’t Reed’s style to give in so easily, however. During warmups, he hobbled onto the court at Madison Square Garden, and the crowd went bananas. The call from ABC announcer Marv Albert (a lifelong Knicks fan) is iconic: “Here comes Willis!”
Reed scored the first two baskets of the game as he...
Directed by Michael Rapaport
USA, 2014
It was Game 5 of the 1970 NBA finals. A tight series between the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks might have turned when Knicks star Willis Reed went down with a leg injury. Reed—the captain of the team, the league Mvp, and the toughest bastard in basketball—missed the rest of the game (a Knicks win), as well as the next won (which the Lakers took), and he was officially listed as unlikely to play in the seventh and deciding game of the series.
It wasn’t Reed’s style to give in so easily, however. During warmups, he hobbled onto the court at Madison Square Garden, and the crowd went bananas. The call from ABC announcer Marv Albert (a lifelong Knicks fan) is iconic: “Here comes Willis!”
Reed scored the first two baskets of the game as he...
- 4/19/2014
- by John Gilpatrick
- SoundOnSight
A week ago, this question would have been much easier to answer. Without a championship ring under his belt, LeBron James is merely an explosive all-round forward, a physical specimen and a great player. That is not to say that such a description isn’t impressive, but in the history of NBA many have been considered “great.”
With a ring under his belt however, LeBron James has vaulted himself onto a list of some of the greatest NBA players of all time. Many will argue that he isn’t quite there yet, and that is debatable, but no one can argue that his dominating performances throughout the 2011-2012 playoffs didn’t give him an extraordinary boox.
To begin, it would be advantageous to list players that are definitely above LeBron James. Also, I apologize in advance if certain legends are omitted, but due to the sheer number of greats, it...
With a ring under his belt however, LeBron James has vaulted himself onto a list of some of the greatest NBA players of all time. Many will argue that he isn’t quite there yet, and that is debatable, but no one can argue that his dominating performances throughout the 2011-2012 playoffs didn’t give him an extraordinary boox.
To begin, it would be advantageous to list players that are definitely above LeBron James. Also, I apologize in advance if certain legends are omitted, but due to the sheer number of greats, it...
- 6/25/2012
- by John Tang
- We Got This Covered
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