WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Starting 5.

Netflix’s new docuseries Starting 5 offers an extensive deep dive into the 2023-24 NBA season through the exclusive lenses of five elite players. Directed by Peter J. Scalettar (Supreme Team) and produced by Peyton Manning (Quarterback) and Barack and Michelle Obama (Leave the World Behind), Starting 5 takes a behind-the-scenes look at the off-the-court lives of five of the NBA’s biggest stars and most talented players. Starting 5 follows Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings, Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat, Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Starting 5 also includes never-before-seen footage of these five NBA talents during the regular season and playoffs, including previously unreleased audio and in-game commentary between players, coaches, and other NBA personnel. The series thoughtfully pieces together some of the common themes between these five NBA superstars, such as their personal battles with injury, legacy, and fame, as well as their roles as fathers, partners, and public figures. Starting 5 has a great soundtrack and releases just one day after the start of the 2024-2025 NBA Preseason, chronicling the entire 2023-2024 season up to the Boston Celtics’ NBA Finals victory in June 2024.

12 LeBron James Dispels Report That He Spends $1.5 Million Annually On His Body

Episode 3, “Survival of the Fittest”

In Starting 5 episode 3, LeBron James confronts the headlining reports that he spends $1.5 million annually to keep his body in pristine athletic shape. While he doesn’t disclose the actual dollar amount, he laughs at the rumored $1.5 million figure, a price he could certainly afford as the NBA’s only active player with a net worth north of $1 billion. James clarifies that it’s not about the money he puts into his athletic maintenance, but the time. His trainer, Mike Mancias, keeps James busy during his off days with plenty of rehabilitation and preventative therapy, such as cryotherapy, red light therapy, and hyperbaric chambers. James chuckles at the $1.5 million figure in Starting 5, calling it a “crazy notion.”

11 Tatum, Butler & Edwards All Said They Don’t Understand The In-Season Tournament

Episode 2, “Meet the Hoopers Part II”

The NBA introduced its first-ever In-Season Tournament during November of the 2023-2024 season, which confused many fans, pundits, and even players. Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, and Jimmy Butler all revealed in Starting 5 episode 2 that they didn’t entirely understand the new In-Season Tournament, otherwise known as the NBA Cup. A Starting 5 producer asked Ant Man to explain the In-Season Tournament and Edwards said without hesitation, “I don’t know it.”

Jimmy Butler said the same thing, admitting he didn’t “know enough about it.” Tatum said he didn’t “understand it.” Fortunately for them, Domantas Sabonis was able to break it down flawlessly and was confused about others’ confusion. Everybody did understand, however, that each player on the winning team would receive $500,000.

Episode 1, “Meet the Hoopers Part I”

The inspiration behind Jimmy Butler’s wild emo look at the NBA’s 2023 Media Day was finally unearthed in Starting 5 episode 1. Butler’s nanny, Olivia Sutton, explains that she told Jimmy Buckets about a bar she had gone to that had an “Emo Night.” Butler asked what that meant and Sutton explained that it was simply a group of people having fun and listening to popular emo rock bands such as Panic! At The Disco and Fall Out Boy. From then on, Butler started listening to more emo rock and discovered that he’s “low-key kinda emo all the time.” Emo Jimmy was born and even starred in a Fall Out Boy music video in 2023.

9 LeBron James Gives A Shoutout To The USC Trainer Who Performed CPR On Bronny

Episode 4, “Father Christmas”

In Starting 5 episode 4, LeBron James gives a special shoutout to USC Athletic Trainer Erin Tillman, who administered CPR to his son LeBron “Bronny” James Jr. after he suffered from cardiac arrest during a workout in August 2023. LeBron introduced his mother, Gloria Marie James, to Erin in a touching moment. James speaks extensively about how Bronny’s near-death experience has completely changed his outlook on life. While he’s always been a family man, James reiterates in Starting 5 that family is the most important thing in his life at this point, above his NBA legacy and his love for the game. He notes how fortunate he is to not only have Bronny as a teammate but as a son.

8 Anthony Edwards Watched The Rest Of The Wolves v. Kings Game In His Daughter’s Delivery Room

Episode 7, “Push”

While James reflects on his fatherhood in Starting 5 as Bronny enters the NBA, 23-year-old Anthony Edwards welcomed his first child, Aislynn, in March 2024. He notably left the March 1st home game against the Sacramento Kings at halftime to meet his girlfriend, Jeanie Robel, who also goes by the name Shannon, at a Minnesota Hospital. Edwards made it in time to be there for Aislynn’s very first moments but made sure to have the Timberwolves game streaming on his phone in the delivery room. The game came down to the wire but the T-Wolves ultimately lost by 4. Edwards was upset for a second but that feeling of disappointment didn’t last long as he held his daughter for the first time.

7 Joe Mazzulla Says Tatum Has The Privilege Of Dealing With Unfair Criticism As An NBA Star

Episode 5, “The Struggle Is Real”

Joe Mazzulla, the 34-year-old head coach of the Boston Celtics, is known for his unmatched tenacity and uncompromising perspective on the work ethic and discipline required to become an NBA Champion. He offers a great line in Starting 5 episode 5 after a producer suggests that Tatum “has to deal with unfair criticism” and the high standards of Boston fans and media outlets.

Mazzulla corrects the producer and says, “He gets to deal with it. It’s the ultimate compliment. That’s what we talk about. This is what you asked for. You asked to be one of the best players in the NBA on the best team in the NBA with an opportunity to be an icon for the league for a long, long time.” His comments really exemplify the mentality of the 2024 NBA Champion Celtics from the top down.

6 Kevin Garnett Tells A Hilarious Story About Domantas Sabonis’ Hall of Fame Father

Episode 2, “Meet the Hoopers Part II”

Kevin Garnett offers some of the funniest commentary in Starting 5, particularly in episode 2 as he describes a locker room scene of Hall of Fame center Arvydas Sabonis, the father of Domantas Sabonis. KG said that Sabonis was “the best in the world, hands down” and recalls playing on the same team as him during the 1995 NBA Rookie Game.

Sabonis had been playing for nearly 15 years before making his NBA debut in 1995 at the age of 31. Since he was born in the Soviet Union, he was not allowed to play in the NBA after being drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in 1986. KG, who was 19 at the time, recalls seeing Sabonis with his wife in the locker room smoking a cigarette and talking trash.

5 Jimmy Butler Writes Songs & Makes Music About His Life With Country Artists

Episode 5, “The Struggle Is Real”

Jimmy Butler proves he is full of surprises in Starting 5 when he announces that he’s working on his own original country album. Although Butler never shows off his singing chops in the Netflix docuseries, he works with several country artists at his Miami home as their songwriter, pulling ideas for songs straight out of his personal life. Although the group doesn’t have an official name, Butler tells them about a recent text message exchange he had with a potential love interest who is leaving for Dubai. He tells the group he wants to write a song about the friendzone and they spring into action with acoustic guitar chords and authentic country lyrics in one of the most unexpected scenes in Starting 5.

4 Anthony Edwards Says He Wants “All The Smoke” In The NBA (Except With Kyrie)

Episode 8, “I’m Here!”​​​​​​

It’s no surprise that Anthony Edwards is one of the most confident players in the NBA, and rightfully so. His seemingly invincible mindset is displayed throughout Starting 5 as he led the Timberwolves to an improbable Western Conference Finals run, defeating Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets in an instant classic Game 7 during the second round. Edwards’ cockiness finally came around to haunt him when it came to Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks, who beat the T-Wolves 4 games to 1 to advance to the 2024 NBA Finals. Edwards proclaimed that he wanted “all the smoke” in the NBA before being humbled by Irving and the Mavs.

3 Jayson Tatum Felt The Weight Of The World Lift Off His Shoulders After 2024 NBA Finals Win

Episode 10, “Just Be Yourself”

Starting 5 episode 10 ends with Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics finally securing banner number 18 and reclaiming their status as the most-winningest NBA Finals team of all time. Tatum led the Celtics to the Eastern Conference finals in five of his seven seasons and recently lost to Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors on their home court in the 2022 NBA Finals. With their Game 5 win over the Mavericks, Tatum was finally able to silence the haters who doubted Tatum’s ability to lead a championship team.

Tatum, of course, was aided by several of his superstar teammates, who collectively became the most efficient offensive team in NBA history. Regardless, Starting 5 demonstrates how much pressure was lifted on Tatum’s shoulders and how relieved he was to prove to the city of Boston and himself that he belonged in Titletown, where anything below a championship is considered a failure. Tatum took a line out of Curry’s handbook, exclaiming on the TD Garden floor, “What they gonna say now?“

2 Jimmy Butler Learned Of His Father’s Terminal Illness Before Winning Eastern Conference Finals MVP In 2023

Episode 5, “The Struggle Is Real”

One of the most remarkable stories in Starting 5 was about how Jimmy Butler learned of his father’s terminal illness and what happened next. Butler went off in Game 7 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics and won the MVP Award just hours after learning that his father had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Butler left TD Garden to go see his dad at the hospital and handed him the Easter Conference Finals MVP trophy, which Butler says “gave him a different type of energy” and a burst of hope and inspiration.

Next season, during a regular season game against the Spurs, Butler scored a triple-double and handed his father his autographed shoes before flying out for his brother’s wedding. When Butler’s plane landed later that day, he learned that his dad had passed. Butler expressed how much he loved playing dominoes with his dad and how integral he was to his life.

1 Kevin Garnett Says Anthony Edwards Could Be The New Face Of The NBA Post-LeBron

Episode 10, “Just Be Yourself”

Kevin Garnett gave Tatum and the Celtics props for taking home the NBA Title in 2024, their first championship since 2008 when he, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen were on the team. He noted that Tatum never had to be anyone other than who he truly was, despite all the criticism that he needed to be more vocal and aggressive on the basketball court. Staring 5 certainly reinforces the notion that nothing silences naysayers better than victory. KG did give a special shoutout to Anthony Edwards at the end of the Netflix docuseries, saying that he could become the new face of the NBA once LeBron James inevitably retires. As Starting 5 displays, Edwards could still be quite far from his NBA prime.

Cast

Jimmy Butler , Anthony Edwards , LeBron James , Domantas Sabonis , Jayson Tatum

Release Date

October 9, 2024