The Best NBA Documentaries Of All Time

An incredible ten-part miniseries on Michael Jordan and his final season with the Chicago Bulls through the lens of the players who were there and featuring never before seen footage from the 1998 season. Since the day the documentary dropped on Netflix, The Last Dance has been one of the most rewatchable docu-series produced on the NBA. The massive-in-scope tell-all story gave everyone exactly what they were looking for - a raw and unfiltered look at one of the greatest players and teams of all-time. With crazy insights on Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Steve Kerr, this one is a must watch for hoops fans.

The Redeem Team covers the rise of Team USA basketball following an embarrassing loss in the 2004 Olympics. Led by a lineup of all time NBA greats and Coach K, Team USA reached the pinnacle of international basketball with a gold medal in 2008. With revealing interviews, exclusive footage of ex-NBA stars, including Kobe Bryant, and behind-the-scenes tales of the United States return to glory and dominance, this Netflix doc is must see. 

Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies not only traces the history of the rivalry, but also present a fabulous cast of characters who would change the NBA and open America's collective mind. At the center of it all in the 1980s was a pair of brilliant basketball talents - Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Bird's Celtics and Magic's Lakers circled each other for four years until they faced off in an epic NBA Finals in 1984.Part Three picks up the story right after the thrilling 1984 NBA Finals and then explores the saga from 1985 to 1987 as the teams' disdain for each other gradually turns to respect. The Celtics and Lakers - Bird and Magic in particular - transformed the fans' view of the game from simple black-and-white to full-blown Technicolor. By the end of their last battle of that era in 1987, while there was still animosity, they had also developed a hard-earned respect for each other. In the final analysis, it was a rivalry that forced America to no longer view the league in black and white.

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson will forever be paired together. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird's rivalry propelled the NBA into the most popular sport on earth and created the idea of the instant classic - games filled with drama - while a rivalry developed into a storied friendship. In A Courtship of Rivals, HBO documents the story of the NBA in the '80s. While battling for championships the duo formed a bond that laid the foundation for today's NBA. The doc also takes a look at the issue of race through the lens of Larry Bird and how he earned his respect in the league. 

Few teams in professional sports history elicit such a wide range of emotions as the Detroit Pistons of the late 1980s and early '90s. For some, the team was heroic -- made up of gritty, hard-nosed players who didn't back down from anyone. And for others, it was exactly that trait -- the willingness to do seemingly anything to win -- that made them the "Bad Boys," the team fans loved to hate. No drama is complete without compelling characters, and the Bad Boys Pistons had a full cast. Viewers will see the many factors that drove one of the best -- and most complex -- players in NBA history: Isiah Thomas, a lethal combination of sweetness on the outside and toughness within. In addition, the team was characterized by the toughness of Bill Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn; the quiet intensity of Joe Dumars; the savvy and fearlessness of a young Dennis Rodman; the comic relief provided by John Salley; and the mixture of grit, professionalism and style possessed by coach Chuck Daly. Sandwiched between the Lakers' and Celtics' dominance of the 1980s and the Bulls' run in the 1990s, the Pistons' two titles in 1989 and '90 are often viewed as a transitional period in NBA history, rather than a dynamic championship era in its own right. But for anyone who experienced the Bad Boys in action, they more than carved out their own identity, both in the league and in American popular culture. Now, viewers will finally get the untold story behind one of the most unique championship teams in NBA history.

The legendary step over Tyronn Lue in the NBA Finals. When he wouldn't talk about practice. A.I. left his mark on the league. Before the fame, glitz, and crafty ball-handling, Iverson grew up in poverty and faced the harsh realities of a town struggling with racial tensions. His wrongful incarceration almost derailed his athletic ambitions, but with help from his family, friends, coaches, and the Virginia governor, Iverson made it to the league as the first overall draft pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. Once in the league, it didn’t take long for his talent to transcend, but Iverson’s professional career was full of controversy. The documentary shows A.I., as well as the meaningful people in his life, revisit the pivotal moments in time when he needed them, and basketball the most.