ESPN Films

On Thursday, Nov. 7, 1991, Earvin "Magic" Johnson made people stop and watch at the Forum in Inglewood, California. But this time it wasn't his basketball brilliance as a perennial NBA All-Star and three-time MVP that was captivating audiences worldwide. Instead, the 32-year-old ground-breaking point guard was holding a press conference to make the stunning announcement that he was HIV-positive and would be retiring from basketball immediately. More than 20 years after the announcement, director Nelson George gets to the core of Magic's incredible personal journey and explores how he continues to thrive two decades later, thanks in large part to the fortitude of his wife, the vision of his friend and AIDS activist, the late Elizabeth Glaser, and the commitment of his former head coach Pat Riley. Friends and Family share their memories of that time and insights on the character of the man who put a new face on HIV and AIDS.

Arriving on the campus of the University of Michigan in the fall of 1991, the five freshmen--Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson--not only electrified the game, but also brought new style to the masses with their baggy shorts, black socks and brash talk. Now, in their own words, the Fab Five relive those days: the recruitment process that got them to Ann Arbor, the cultural impact they made, the two runs to the NCAA title game, the Webber "timeout" that cost them the 1993 championship and the scandal that eventually tarnished their accomplishments.  Forget what you remember about the Fab 5--this film will show them in an entirely new light.

With five outs remaining in Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS, a foul ball descended from the cold Chicago sky, seemingly destined for the glove of Cubs left fielder Moises Alou. But a flurry of hands reached up and one hand, belonging to Cubs fan Steve Bartman, fatefully tipped the ball away from a frustrated Alou. Most long-suffering Cubs fans, including a chorus of hostile ones in Wrigley Field, quickly became convinced that Bartman had swatted away Chicago's chance of advancing to the World Series for the first time 58 years. The mild-mannered Bartman released a sincere public apology, but his fate was already sealed by the Cubs fans' need for a scapegoat to explain a near-century of losing. Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney relates the scapegoat compulsion to his own frustration as a Red Sox fan when Bill Buckner was similarly singled out for letting a fateful ground ball go through his legs in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.

The film tells the story of Renée Richard's battle to enter the 1977 U.S. Open as the first transgender tennis player. Simultaneously, it follows her today as she struggles to cope with a life of contradictions and personal conflict.

The Dotted Line is an in-depth look at what it takes to be a big-time agent in the fiercely competitive world of major league sports. Agents Peter Greenberg and Eugene Lee are profiled along with their clients New York Mets' pitcher Johan Santana (Greenberg's) and NFL hopefuls Jacquian Williams and Robert Hughes (Lee's).

In June of 1999 an unlikely colt named Charismatic, with down and out jockey Chris Antley aboard, headed down the stretch at the Belmont Stakes, just seconds away from becoming the first Triple Crown winner in nearly 21 years. Thoroughbred racing was desperate for this story of deliverance as track attendance was in steep decline. Into this void stepped Charismatic and Antley, both thought to be lost causes. Together, they became the biggest long shots in 59 years to win the Kentucky Derby, and then followed up with another underdog win at the Preakness, before tragedy struck.

Chuck Wepner is a liquor salesman from Bayonne, NJ who drives a Cadillac with "Champ" vanity plates. A former New Jersey State Heavyweight Boxing Champion, he took abuse from Sonny Liston, got his nose broken by Muhammad Ali, and inspired Sylvester Stallone to write "Rocky" which won three Academy Awards. Wepner was left out of the "Rocky" glory, and his career took turn after strange turn as he worked to stay in the spotlight: he went on to fight Andre the Giant as "The Assassin" and boxed a 900 pound bear.  Twice.

Chris Herren, Fall River, Massachusetts' high school basketball superstar, played for Boston University, for Jerry Tarkanian's Fresno State team, bounced around the NBA (once playing for his beloved Celtics) and around the globe. Chris failed drug tests wherever he played. Ultimately, Chris - the youngest and most talented of three generations of local heroes - has found redemption and personal fulfillment through the game, but only after it led him down a path of alcohol and drug addiction that nearly killed him.

With two Heisman trophies, two national championships and one crazed fan, the biggest rivalry in college sports, Auburn vs. Alabama, has reached new heights in the last two years.

From birth, Todd Marinovich was raised with a defined purpose of creating the perfect athlete. Trained by his father Marv, a former pro football player,  the young Marinovich  was meticulously engineered and nurtured into a star quarterback. But three short years later he was out of the NFL.

The tale of the 2011 Cricket World Cup and India’s come from behind victory- the culmination of a journey that illustrates how a sport and one man, Sachin Tendulkar, redefined the rise of a nation over the course of a few weeks.

Grantland Features' first full-length documentary, Son of the Congo, chronicles Oklahoma City Thunder star Serge Ibaka's improbable journey from his native Congo and return home as a top echelon NBA player. The film follows Ibaka's return home to war-stricken Congo to recount the poignant story of his childhood and confront the stark reality faced by a new generation of Congolese youth. Ibaka revisits the neighborhoods where he once slept in empty lots and practiced basketball without shoes. With grace and generosity, Ibaka receives and supports an endless stream of friends and strangers who hope he can change their lives through his unshakeable faith that a better future is only possible if you never stop trying.

Roberto Clemente went from a humble upbringing in Puerto Rico to become the National League Most Valuable Player in 1966 and a World Series hero for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1960 and 1971. Along the way, Clemente faced numerous obstacles: injuries, an antagonistic press corps and the racial injustices of the time. Inspired by the civil rights movement, Clemente became an unwavering defender of minorities, an advocate for Latino players' rights, and a great humanitarian.

In the early 1980s, the city of Baltimore was reeling, but in the city’s troubled East Baltimore neighborhood, there was one beacon of hope: The Dunbar High School boys basketball team. Over two seasons, they went 59-0, and 11 players on their rosters went off to Division I programs. Directors Marquis Daisy and Sheldon Candis chronicle the journey of four boys and their coach, who reached heights that they couldn’t have imagined, even if their saga was capped by a tragedy that made some wonder how far they ever really got away.