Netflix is all in on sports documentaries that mainly follow the same format. Inspired by the worldwide phenomenon that is Drive to Survive, the popular documentary template following athletes throughout a season has been used by golf, tennis, the NFL, and others to varying degrees of success. Now it’s the NBA’s turn with the Netflix series Starting 5.
While Season 1 of Starting 5 just released earlier this month, we already know the participants for the second season of the series.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, they include Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns, James Harden of the Los Angeles Clippers, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics, and Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers.
Sources: Cast for season two of Netflix’s NBA documentary series Starting 5: Kevin Durant, James Harden, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Haliburton. 🍿🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/FYlsRDLf0o
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 29, 2024
Like Season 1, this group of five players is a home run for the NBA and a great mix of veteran stars and young players who could take on the mantle of the next generation. The first season is going to be hard to top with LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, and Anthony Edwards in starring roles alongside Jimmy Butler and Domantas Sabonis.
However, this cast features arguably the second biggest star of the era with Durant, the reigning Finals MVP in Brown, and perhaps this coming season’s MVP favorite in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Add in colorful characters like Harden and Haliburton and it’s a recipe for success.
The NBA’s personality-driven product seems to be a perfect fit for the Netflix documentary model and with this news being reported by Shams, it’s clear that everyone sees Starting 5 as a win given the second season is already in full swing with the first one only just being released.
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