The title of the episode and its entire plot parodies 30 for 30, a series of documentary films airing on ESPN since 2009, the year of the 30th anniversary of the sports channel. The series includes 30 films covering a wide range of sports topics and significant events.
The number 22 in The Simpsons episode title refers to the usual 22 minutes of duration of every episode.
In one of the memos, Bart told Skinner to wear a Aloha shirt in honor to the Hawaiian King Kamehameha's birthday. Kamehameha I was the first king of the Hawaiian islands and his date of birth remains unknown. The Hawaiian Kingdom had five different kings named Kamehameha.
The song "I Wish" by Skee-Lo plays when Bart is in detention.
Krusty mentions American country singer Dolly Parton and makes a joke about the size of her breasts being 40DD, which is usually a subject related to Parton's public image.
Homer learned some things about basketball from professional basketball coach Red Auerbach.
The well-known finale from the 1812 Overture by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is heard when Bart is playing basketball with a lack of discipline.
The large gray trophy Bart skates around holding a mini American and Canadian flag in each hand is the Stanley Cup.
The people that appear on Krusty's "name jokes" board include:
Charo, the Spanish-born actress, singer, comedian, and flamenco guitarist
While being strangled, Bart compares Homer to Bobby Knight, who was a successful men's college basketball coach but was known for his outspoken nature and his volatility.
Homer putting a towel in his mouth during the basketball game is a reference to basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian, who chewed on moist towels during games to prevent his mouth from drying out.
The site BadaBing is a parody of the search engine Bing and the name also refers to the stripclub Bada Bing! from the American crime drama TV series The Sopranos.
That he wears "man-Spanx", a reference to the American underwear maker Spanx, which works primarily with female underwear.
Fat Tony's high school nickname was "Robert De Zero" which is a reference to American actor Robert De Niro, who has starred in numerous movies about the American Mafia.
That Fat Tony cried at Toy Story 2 which was, according to Louie, "not even the sad one". Louie is referencing Toy Story 3, which was acclaimed for its emotional depth.
"Basketball" by Bow Wow plays over the closing montage of the episode.
The facts at the end of the episode include:
American basketball player Stephen Curry is mentioned not appearing in the documentary, but appears throwing a paper from the Springfield sign to Skinner's office.
Dolly Parton sued Krusty for defamation of character.
The women's team Fat Tony plays for is called Little Debbies, and their logo is a reference to the Little Debbie cookie products.
This episode was a bonus episode on The Complete Eighteenth Season DVD as a special feature, making this episode the first episode to be released on DVD after season 18.
