The 25 Best Sports Documentaries

A film following the lives of two inner-city Chicago boys who struggle to become college basketball players on the road to going professional.

The document of the 1936 Olympics at Berlin.

The document of the 1936 Olympics at Berlin, orchestrated as Nazi propaganda.

A documentary on the history of the sport with major topics including Afro-American players, player/team owner relations and the resilience of the game.

Kon Ichikawa examines the beauty and rich drama on display at the 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo, creating a record of observations that range from the expansive to the intimate.

Die-hard gamers compete to break world records on classic arcade games.

Boxing documentary on the 1974 world heavyweight championship bout between defending champion, George Foreman, and the underdog challenger, Muhammad Ali.

Quadriplegics, who play full-contact rugby in wheelchairs, overcome unimaginable obstacles to compete in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.

The life and career of Hank Greenberg, the first major Jewish baseball star in the Major Leagues.

The true story of two climbers and their perilous journey up the west face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.

The Palestinian terrorist group Black September holds Israeli athletes hostage at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Munich.

An examination of America's win-at-all-cost culture from the perspective of bodybuilding and performance enhancing drugs, as it focuses on a pair of siblings chasing their dream.

Follows eight teenagers on their quest to win the 1999 National Spelling Bee.

The crown jewel to ten years of Bruce Brown surfing documentaries. Brown follows two young surfers around the world in search of the perfect wave, and ends up finding quite a few in addition to some colorful local characters.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno face off in a no-holds-barred competition for the title of Mr. Olympia in this critically-acclaimed film that made Schwarzenegger a household name.

A heartfelt documentary focusing on the day-to-day lives of professional wrestlers, some on the rise, some on the wane, and others fighting for their lives.

Documentary about the pioneering 1970s Zephyr skating team.

Documentary detailing the origins and history of surf culture.

A mixture of original interviews, archival footage, and photographs sheds light on the life experiences of Mike Tyson.

Surfers and secret spots from around the world are profiled in this documentary.

This documentary follows NBA superstar LeBron James and four of his talented teammates through the trials and tribulations of high school basketball in Ohio and James' journey to fame.

A British documentary that follows two young North Korean girls as they prepare for the Mass Games, the world's largest choreographed gymnastics performance.

"Go Tigers!" is a rare behind-the-scenes chronicling of a remarkable season for the Massillon Tigers high school football team, played out in a small rustbelt town that draws its identity from football. During the course of the season, THREE YOUNG STARS emerge who are forced to carry the burden of the town and their teammates as they confront their uncertain future.

A documentary on Brazilian Formula One racing driver Ayrton Senna, who won the F1 world championship three times before his death at age 34.

Filmmaker Christopher Browne documents the mission of a group of middle-aged bowlers as they attempt to revitalize the sport and get the television-watching public interested in it again.