Netflix has announced its newest sports series, Starting 5, which will premiere on October 9, 2024. The 10-part series provides an intense, behind-the-scenes look at the 2023-24 NBA season through the eyes of five of the league’s biggest players – Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings), and Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics).
The series captures their battles on and off the court as they chase greatness, push through injuries, and balance the demands of family and legacy. James pushes himself harder than ever to stay healthy – and dominant – in his 21st season, while Edwards electrifies with his rapid rise.
Butler’s relentless drive propels the Heat, Sabonis anchors the Kings with his versatile play, and Tatum leads the Celtics in their quest for a record 18th championship. Starting 5 delivers an unfiltered view of life at the pinnacle of professional basketball.
UNINTERRUPTED produces the series in association with Higher Ground Productions and Omaha Productions. Starting 5 consists of ten 45-minute episodes.
The executive producers include Maverick Carter, Jamal Henderson, Philip Byron, and Randy Mims for UNINTERRUPTED; President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Vinnie Malhotra, and Ethan Lewis for Higher Ground; and Peyton Manning, Jamie Horowitz and Sam Pepper for Omaha.
Peter J. Scalettar is the showrunner, and the directors include Susan Ansman, Trishtan Williams, and Scalettar. Sami Khan, Matt Rissmiller, and Camara Rose are the co-executive producers.
Netflix has worked with LeBron James’’UNINTERRUPTED on sports programming like Hustle, The Redeem Team, Neymar: The Perfect Chaos, Naomi Osaka, UNTOLD: Sign Stealer, Rez Ball, and The Playbook.
This will be President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground’s second sports series with Netflix following the announcement of the Olympic men’s basketball series (to premiere in 2025). Additional Netflix projects with Higher Ground include Leave the World Behind, American Symphony, Working: What We Do All Day, and Rustin.
Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions has produced popular series for Netflix, such as Receiver, Quarterback, and King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch.
Netflix’s sports series include Simone Biles Rising, Sprint, Quarterback, Formula 1: Drive to Survive, Full Swing, UNTOLD, Tour de France, Beckham; live events like the Netflix Slam, Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef, Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson; and upcoming live sports programming like NFL on Netflix for Christmas and WWE Raw.
Photo Courtesy of Netflix
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills to provide the latest news on streaming, movies, and TV shows. He previously created the websites ComingSoon, SuperHeroHype, and ShockTillYouDrop.