Sport and Cinema.com

As the NBA regular season begins over the Christmas holiday weekend, we provide a quick trip around the league to assess the strengths and weakness in the different divisions and offer our view as to who will win it all in June.

In time for the holiday shopping rush comes the entire set of thirty films now combined into one DVD package (and available on Blu-ray) from ESPN’s acclaimed 30 for 30 series, a compelling “television film festival”. The 30 for 30 Limited Edition Collector Set is packaged in a collectible box & contains 30 for 30 Gift Sets Volume 1 & Volume 2 as well as an exclusive retro ESPN hat featuring the company’s original logo.

He enjoyed outstanding success as a player and general manager for the Los Angeles Lakers, was voted one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players and his image has long been the NBA’s logo, but in his new book, West By West My Charmed, Tormented Life (co-authored by Jonathan Coleman), Jerry West presents a lot more of the dark shadows that have haunted him behind the glory of the arena spotlight.

Ten individuals representing a wide range of skills were enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame this weekend in Springfield, Massachusetts.

ESPN Films, creators of the Emmy-nominated and Peabody award-winning 30 for 30 film series, has announced the schedule for a slate of new films. The film series will begin airing Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN HD, and subsequent Tuesday nights throughout the fall. Films include Catching Hell, Renée, The Dotted Line, Unguarded, The Real Rocky, Charismatic and Roll Tide/War Eagle.

“Off the Rez”, Eight-time Emmy award winning filmmaker Jonathan Hock’s latest documentary film, is a story about a Native American family in Oregon that leaves the reservation in pursuit of the American dream on behalf of one of their eight children.

LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki, two of the game’s best players and both hungry for that elusive pro basketball crown, lead the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks respectively into the NBA Finals that tip off Tuesday.

Now in play and running through May 1st, Tribeca, with partner ESPN, present a compelling and diverse slate of sports documentary films in its 10th annual gathering throughout New York City.

ESPN is now offering on DVD the remaining 15 of the 30 films from its original slate in the highly acclaimed “30 for 30″ series.

Coinciding with the annual tip off into March Madness, ESPN will air a new film next weekend about one of college basketball’s more memorable teams.