Netflix is pulling the plug on its NBA docuseries Starting 5 after two seasons, according to Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal. The series followed five players through the grind of an NBA season.
Starting 5 Struggled To Compete With Quarterback
Season 2 featured Tyrese Haliburton, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Jaylen Brown. The year ended with Haliburton and Gilgeous-Alexander battling in a seven-game NBA Finals series.
LeBron James‘ production company Uninterrupted, as well as Omaha Productions and Higher Ground Productions produced the series. A total of 18 episodes were released.
Maverick Carter, James’ business partner, serves as an executive producer on the series, along with Omaha’s Peyton Manning and Higher Ground’s former president Barack and first lady Michelle Obama.
James starred in the first season alongside Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, Domantas Sabonis, and Jayson Tatum. Lauri Markkanen declined the opportunity to appear in the star-studded show.
Season 2 received the green light after successful ratings.
However, third-party analytics revealed that Starting 5 failed to keep up with the NFL’s Quarterback, per Karp. Ratings data for Season 2 will likely not be available until early 2026.
Season 2 Captured Haliburton’s Achilles Tear
Despite the cancellation, Starting 5 created memorable scenes for the NBA community. Season 2 documented Haliburton’s heartbreaking Achilles tear in Game 7 of the Finals.
Cameras captured the emotional moment, including SGA walking into the tunnel to comfort the Pacers star just minutes after the Oklahoma City Thunder won their first-ever NBA title.
In addition, the season featured Durant and intense trade speculation about whether he’d return to Golden State. Harden was also shown introducing his son to the world for the first time on camera.
Season 1, meanwhile, included the tragic moment when Butler’s agent notified him that his father had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.
James and his wife Savannah also reflected on their son Bronny suffering cardiac arrest in July 2023. LeBron and Bronny became the first father-son duo in NBA history in last season’s opener.
