Netflix has added yet another promising title to its growing repertoire of sports docuseries. Opting to shine the spotlight on basketball this time around, Netflix’s latest series is aptly titled Starting 5. The docuseries consists of 10 episodes, each spanning approximately 45 minutes. Having made its debut on October 9, 2024, just one day after the start of the 2024-2025 NBA preseason, Starting 5 is here in perfect time for the NBA regular season, which is set to commence later this month.
Directed by Peter J. Scalettar and produced by Peyton Manning and Barack and Michelle Obama, Starting 5 focuses on five of the current most formidable names in the sport. The docuseries provides an insider look into the lives of the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, the Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler, the Sacramento Kings’ Domantas Sabonis, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards and the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum. In documenting the 2023-2024 season, Starting 5 brings with it never-before-seen footage of the players and, by delving into both their professional and personal lives, makes the series the perfect watch for fans before the NBA season kicks off.
Starting 5 Offers a Behind-the-Scenes Look at NBA Stars
- Release Date
- October 9, 2024
- Main Genre
- Reality
- Seasons
- 1
The reputation that Starting 5‘s players have built for themselves on the basketball court has meant that many fans have inadvertently come to believe that their favorite players are indestructible powerhouses. However, Netflix’s docuseries works to humanize these stars, diving deep into everything that goes on behind closed doors.
While staying true to its title and focusing on the extraordinary, almost superhuman, performances of the stars on the court, Starting 5 also highlights the mental and physical struggles that the athletes go through. Foregrounding the fact that talent is nothing without hard work, the docuseries depicts how LeBron James continuously pushes his body to its limits, testing himself time and time again. Similarly, the series documents the manner in which Jimmy Butler struggles with his injuries, attempting to balance his personal battles with the pressure that comes with leading the Miami Heat.
Going beyond its focus on the mental and emotional struggles of the players, Starting 5 also offers viewers an up-close and personal look into the locker room dynamics of the stars, including previously unheard audio clips and commentary between players, their coaches, and other authoritative NBA figures. This allows audiences to truly understand that it is not a single person’s talent that allows a team to win games. Instead, it is chemistry, teamwork, leadership, and loyalty that bring victory in what is otherwise an intensely competitive environment.
Showcasing the Players in a Different Light
Fans are more than accustomed to seeing players such as James, Butler, and Tatum absolutely dominate the court. However, the fly-on-the-wall perspective that Starting 5 offers paints the series’ protagonists in a totally different light. They are no longer simply basketball legends. Instead, they are also family men, balancing their responsibilities as fathers, partners, and children with their love and dedication to the sport.
While basketball is undoubtedly a significant aspect of their lives, Starting 5 also reminds audiences that these players have their separate responsibilities off-court. For example, the docuseries focuses on LeBron James’ relationship with his sons, depicting his role as a mentor to children who are following in his footsteps. Similarly, the series also explores Tatum’s close relationship with his son, documenting how the player often brings his son to practice sessions and games.
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Starting 5 also focuses on the manner in which family is both a source of motivation and support for the players. For example, the series documents how the memories of Anthony Edwards’ mother and grandmother propel the player to succeed in the NBA. Moreover, it also touches on how Edwards finds inspiration in his siblings, especially given that they raised him after the loss of their mother. Similarly to Edwards, Domantas Sabonis finds inspiration in his father, who himself was a legendary figure in both European and NBA basketball, and finds support in his wife and family. Speaking of seeing the players in a different, more relatable light, director Peter Scalettar said:
“…the idea that as much as these are guys we hold on a pedestal, guys who we think we know everything about because of social media, there’s a whole lot more than that. Being able to see them at home, see them as dads, as family men, as regular people. At the end of the day, it makes it really relatable, and it’s kind of fun to go, ‘Oh yeah, LeBron’s just like me.’ “
Starting 5 Offers a Never-Before-Seen Perspective with Impeccable Timing
As a whole, Starting 5 is a docuseries that brings audiences exclusive footage at the perfect time. The 2024-2025 regular NBA season is scheduled to commence on October 22, 2024, and run till April 13, 2025. With Starting 5 making its debut mere days before the start of the season and bringing together a mix of seasoned legends, rising stars, and international talent, the docuseries makes itself the perfect preseason watch.
The docuseries does considerably well in constituting itself as a lead-up to the NBA season by offering a comprehensive look into the triumphs, losses, and demands of the NBA. Nothing comes easy, even for the players who appear to have all the fame and wealth they could ask for. Mental, emotional, and physical struggles are part and parcel of the game, and as Starting 5 highlights, they cannot be avoided if one is to reach the highest levels of success.
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Although Starting 5 is primarily a documentary focusing on basketball, a few of its most noteworthy players, and one of the wealthiest professional sports leagues in the world, the docuseries also acts as a timely reminder to audiences that their favorite players are, above all else, human. Despite their on-court personas, the athletes have challenges and hurdles to overcome behind closed doors and have responsibilities that stretch beyond their obligations to the sport.
The execution of Starting 5 makes it highly probable that the series will join the ranks of other commendable sports series on Netflix, such as Full Swing, Formula 1: Drive to Survive, The Last Dance, and Simone Biles Rising. While each of these series focuses on the sport and its star athletes, it has also done its part to humanize each champion’s persona. In emphasizing the fact that talent demands dedication, perseverance, and hard work, even amidst personal struggles and hardships, each of Netflix’s successful sports docuseries has offered audiences the chance to better understand and relate to otherwise revered characters. Starting 5 is now available to stream on Netflix.