30 for 30

I love sports for a variety of reasons: the competition on the field, the stories of triumph involving the players, the chance to bond with others over a shared interest, and for the pageantry. ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports, understands all that and, on some occasions, are able to put together specials that capture what we love best about sports.

The 30 For 30 series is one of those specials. In honor of the network's 30th anniversary, filmmakers have created 30 sports documentaries about 30 different events during that time period. At first, I didn't know what to make of the idea. Then I started watching.

Each one I've seen, about 10 in all so far, has been riveting, but none more so than the most recent entry "Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks." The film focused on a three-year span when Reggie Miller and his Indiana Pacers were a thorn in the side for John Starks, Patrick Ewing, Pat Riley and the New York Knicks.

I remember, as a teen, watching those epic battles. Reggie was my kind of player. He wasn't the best and he wasn't the flashiest, but he was a fighter. He worked hard, he was dedicated and boy you sure didn't want to make him mad. Watching game footage from the 1993, 1994 and 1995 playoffs coupled with present-day interviews from all the key players brought those epic clashes to life in a brand new way.

I was amazed by all Reggie had to overcome just to get to that stage. He wasn't even the best basketball player in his family — and everyone, including him, knew it. That honor belonged to his big sister, Cheryl. A portion of the film is dedicated to his youth, growing up never able to overcome his sister on the court. But all that just made Reggie work harder and pushed him to be that much better.

Then coming out of college, no one in Indiana wanted Reggie, except Pacers' General Manager Donnie Walsh. All the fans were clamoring for the Pacers to draft Steve Alford, who has been a star at Indiana University. But Walsh stuck to his guns, knowing Reggie was something special. The fans booed when he was selected, but Reggie knew he'd have to work that much harder to win them over, which he did over an 18-year career.

Then came the classic battles with the Knicks — Ewing, Starks, Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason, Derek Harper and, most importantly, Spike Lee. There were times when Reggie could have given up; times when he and his team were counted out, but he persevered. He endured painful losses and achieved feats that seemed nearly impossible, always working to push himself and his team to another level.

The same was true of Ewing, a heralded draft pick out of Georgetown who was criticized for never making taking the Knicks to the title.

The film was a humbling reminder of the triumph of the will, the importance of perseverence, and the brevity of our moment of glory. Neither Reggie or Ewing won a title during their careers. The window of opportunity is so small, you have to be ready to catch it when it comes. And if you can't, you have to be grateful and thankful for all you got to accomplish. Both those giants of the court were able to exude that quality as well.