Directing
Michael Tolajian
No biography available.
Known For
Once Brothers · 2010Once Brothers
★ 7.42010
MovieDocumentary
Drazen Petrovic and Vlade Divac were two friends who grew up together sharing the common bond of basketball. Together, they lifted the Yugoslavian National team to unimaginable heights. After conquering Europe, they both went to USA where they became the first two foreign players to attain NBA stardom. But with the fall of the Soviet Union on Christmas Day 1991, Yugoslavia split up. A war broke out between Petrovic's Croatia and Divac's Serbia. Long buried ethnic tensions surfaced. And these two men, once brothers, were now on opposite sides of a deadly civil war. As Petrovic and Divac continued to face each other on the basketball courts of the NBA, no words passed between the two. Then, on the fateful night of June 7, 1993, Drazen Petrovic was killed in an auto accident. This film will tell the gripping tale of these men, how circumstances beyond their control tore them apart, and whether Divac has ever come to terms with the death of a friend before they had a chance to reconcile.
We Beat the Dream Team · 2025We Beat the Dream Team
★ 7.52025
MovieDocumentary
Discover the little-known story of a group of college basketball players who were tasked with preparing Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan and the rest of the legendary "Dream Team" for their Olympic debut in 1992.
The Year of the Yao · 2004The Year of the Yao
★ 6.62004
MovieDocumentary
The Year of the Yao is a documentary film telling the first year of basketball player Yao Ming in the United States.
A Jersey Tale · 2004A Jersey Tale
★ 7.02004
MovieComedyCrime
Jersey City teen Ray Ray Morales is wasting time in a low paying job until a local loan shark offers him a job — making sure that Ray Ray's friend, an immigrant pawnbroker makes his weekly payments.
Bluegrass Kingdom: The Gospel of Kentucky Basketball · 2013Bluegrass Kingdom: The Gospel of Kentucky Basketball
2013
MovieDocumentary
The fabled past of this iconic college basketball powerhouse is examined and reflected upon by some of the program's most notable figures, including Pat Riley, Jamal Mashburn, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Joe B. Hall, and John Calipari.
Q Ball · 2019Q Ball
★ 5.62019
MovieDocumentary
Across the Bay from the NBA champion Golden State Warriors is another Warriors team, one that plays only home games. Felony convictions derailed the lives of the San Quentin Prison squad, some of them promising players. The rocky road to rehabilitation is the point of the game in this eye-opening, inspirational documentary. Q Ball‘s focus is on determined men grappling indelibly with the gravity of their crimes and reaching for redemption. The film zeroes in on about-to-be-paroled star player Harry “ATL” Smith, who has not surrendered his NBA dreams; Anthony “Ant” Ammons, a lifer who has become a mentor to younger inmates; and head coach Rafael Cuevas, a convicted murderer who understands his role in preparing his players for life on the outside. For all three men, the team is not just a means of recreation, but a form of family.
Truth Be Told: Rick Ankiel · 2019Truth Be Told: Rick Ankiel
2019
MovieDocumentary
"Truth Be Told: Rick Ankiel" gives insight into Ankiel's personal journey of redemption - overcoming a troubled youth, high expectations, and psychological struggles to achieve success on the field.
30 for 30 · 200930 for 30
★ 7.52009
SeriesDocumentary
30 for 30 is the title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN, its sister networks, and online highlighting interesting people and events in sports history. This currently includes four "volumes" of 30 episodes each, a 13-episode series under the ESPN Films Presents title in 2011–2012, and a series of 30 for 30 Shorts shown through the ESPN.com website. The series has also expanded to include Soccer Stories, which aired in advance of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and audio podcasts. This entry refers to the main Volumes of the series presented by ESPN
Filmography
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