1) “That Championship Feeling” (1983)

From hip-hop to video games to feature films to television commercials, the nexus of NBA basketball and the entertainment industry took off in the ’80s. One of the tentpoles of this movement was NBA Entertainment, a new wing of the league office started at the onset of the decade mainly to capitalize on the rise of home video consumption. Their first VHS release was “That Championship Feeling,” a recap of the 76ers’ 1983 title season. Taking a tried-and-true format from earlier releases under the NBA Films banner, “That Championship Feeling” was a dramatic re-packaging of highlights and interviews from Philly’s playoff run, with newly recorded narration from Dick Stockton (who was the lead announcer at the time for NBA broadcasts on CBS). NBA Entertainment would produce similar season review releases all through to the late ’90s on DVD, creating a yearly tradition, especially for fans of the championship team.

2) “NBA Superstars” (1989)

In 1989, Sports Illustrated subscribers received a VHS called “NBA Superstars,” featuring various music videos where basketball highlights were edited together. Long before YouTube, TikTok, or even the NBA TV channel, this was watershed content for a certain generation of basketball fans and the holy grail of NBA Entertainment’s output. From its eclectic soundtrack (Janet Jackson and Vanessa Williams alongside Yanni, Kool Moe Dee, and Billy Joel) to its meticulously curated highlights to its endless re-watchability, “NBA Superstars” was played ad nauseam in VHS players across America for years. Arguably the most memorable segments were the most aptly soundtracked ones, with Larry Bird highlights (and inserts of his hometown French Lick) set to John Mellencamp’s “Small Town,” Michael Jordan exploits set to Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away,” Magic Johnson’s playmaking set to Janet Jackson’s “Control” and, of course, Charles Barkley menacing opponents set to Scandal’s “Warrior.”

3) “Michael Jordan: Come Fly with Me” (1989)

Jordan hagiographies are legion now, including the recent ESPN documentary “The Last Dance,” but a pre-packaged ode to the Bulls superstar was still a novel concept in the late ’80s. “Come Fly with Me” featured some of Jordan’s top college and NBA highlights mixed with interviews with teammates, opponents, coaches, and even his parents. It’s worth noting that Jordan was only 26 years old when this retrospective was released and had yet to play in the NBA Finals, let alone win any of his eventual six titles. But he was an undeniable mega star already, with a league MVP, three scoring titles, and two Slam Dunk Contest wins, which feature heavily in this film. Another notable thing about “Come Fly with Me” was the multiple ways it could be acquired, from rentals at Blockbuster to mail-in redemptions for purchasers of Coke products to distribution to Sports Illustrated subscribers.

4) “Dazzling Dunks and Basketball Bloopers” (1989)
5) “The All New Dazzling Dunks and Basketball Bloopers” (1990)

Longtime Jazz coach Frank Layden was something of a clown prince of basketball, bringing levity to the game both on and off the court. That made him a perfect host of “Dazzling Dunks and Basketball Bloopers,” acting as a blooper-loving foil to Marv Albert’s strait-laced dunk appreciation. Comedy gold is mined out of various wild turnovers, hard fouls, missed dunks, dives into the stands, referee arguments, whacky fan antics, and, of course, gratuitous San Diego Chicken cameos (there’s also an interlaced series of man-on-the-street segments, with Layden interviewing New Yorkers). These pratfalls and sketches are presented alongside some of the greatest dunks in league history, including a recap of the first few NBA Slam Dunk Contests. It proved so successful that NBA Entertainment released “The All New Dazzling Dunks and Basketball Bloopers” just a year later. Essentially the same format was utilized but this sequel threw in a series of comedy sketches and odd “unofficial history” segments, where footage was shown of basketball being played by dolphins, ice skaters, and horseback riders.

6) “Kareem: Reflections from Inside” (1989)

With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar announced his impending retirement, the ’88-’89 Lakers season became a glorified farewell tour. Opposing teams feted him with retirement gifts before games, while numerous tributes were put together in honor of arguably the greatest player of all time. That included “Kareem: Reflections from Inside,” the first true career retrospective release from NBA Entertainment. Featuring a wide range of interviews that included Pat Riley, Magic Johnson, John Wooden, Oscar Robertson, Billy Crystal, and Kareem’s parents, the film was a biographical detail of not just Abdul-Jabbar’s playing career but also his childhood, his personal life, and his social justice activism. NBA Entertainment would later release similar home videos upon the retirements of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan (twice).

7) “History of the NBA” (1989)

One of the real legacies of NBA Entertainment was not just the promotion of current stars and championship teams but its eventual forays into history lessons. The NBA had reached new heights of popularity and financial success by the late ’80s and the league’s media arm looked to bridge the bright future with the illustrious past. “History of the NBA” was the ultimate example, a one hour special that first aired on HBO and was later distributed on VHS. Hosted by Pat Riley, it laid out the league’s full story, from James Naismith and the early barnstorming teams to the NBA’s founding and early days all the way up through the Lakers-Celtics rivalry of the ’80s. In between documentary segments, Riley (decked out in black tie attire, natch) conducted interviews with some of the sport’s biggest legends, including George Mikan, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bob Cousy. For many young fans, this was an initial foray into the league’s history, creating a lifelong obsession with the greatest game on earth.