5 Must watch NBA documentaries from The Last Dance to The Dream Team

#3 Bad Boys

The "Bad Boys" Detroit Pistons celebrate their 1989 NBA Championship win

This is yet another riveting 30-for-30 production that takes a look at the NBA team that ended the Celtics’ and Lakers’ dominance in the 1980s. Bad Boys is about the back-to-back championship-winning Detroit Pistons and their domination of the NBA in 1989 and 1990. ‘Bad Boys’ was the term given to the team for their rough play and tough-nosed defense, but which ultimately led to the Pistons winning their first two championships in NBA history.

The production has interviews with Isiah Thomas, Rick Mahorn and Bill Laimbeer among others as it explores what went into making the Pistons such a great team. It explores their rivalry with the Chicago Bulls as well and has the Pistons’ greats opening up on the physical aspect of their game. Whether or not you are a Bad Boys fan, this is a good refresher course on a team whose place in NBA history is still being disputed.

#4 Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs The NY Knicks

While the 1990s were dominated by the Chicago Bulls, the other fascinating chapter of that period was the rivalry involving the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks. It was about Indiana’s good boys, led by Reggie Miller, and the city slickers of New York, led by Patrick Ewing.

The two teams met as many as six times between 1993 and 2000 in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, with each matchup living up to its billing.

Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs The NY Knicks looks in particular at Reggie Miller’s stellar play in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals versus the Knicks. Miller scored 8 points in 8.9 seconds at the end of that game to help his team overcome a six-point deficit and finish with a two-point win. That performance is what forms the focus of director Dan Klores’ film as viewers get to see how Miller built his reputation as Madison Square Garden’s ultimate villain.

#5 The Dream Team

Every NBA fan has heard of the Dream Team. It was the nickname given to the 1992 USA Olympic men’s basketball team for the galaxy of stars that made up the roster. The team included superstars such as Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley. The team decimated their opponents enroute to a gold medal in the Barcelona Olympics.

More importantly, the Dream Team, with its collections of stars and dazzling play, popularized the NBA across the world thanks to their performance in Barcelona. If the NBA involves participation from ballers across the world today, then it is because of the heroics of the 1992 Dream Team.

The NBA TV production takes a look at what went into the making of the team and their magical influence on fans and the game, which ultimately led to the entire team getting enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame.