Starting 5

Background

The series was developed for Netflix, which had previously worked with Uninterrupted and Omaha Productions on similar sports documentary series such as The Redeem Team and Quarterback. Starting 5 marked Higher Ground Productions' first sports-related programming on Netflix. Executive producers included Maverick Carter, Jamal Henderson, Philip Byron, and Randy Mims through Uninterrupted; Barack and Michelle Obama, Vinnie Malhotra, and Ethan Lewis through Higher Ground; and Peyton Manning, Jamie Horowitz, and Sam Pepper through Omaha. Susan Ansman, Trishtan Williams, and Peter J. Scalettar served as directors, with Scalettar also acting as showrunner.

The first season, set during the 2023–24 NBA season, consisted of ten 45-minute episodes. It featured the personal lives of the five players, including Butler's agent informing him of his father's terminal illness, James and his wife Savannah reflecting on their son Bronny's cardiac arrest in July 2023, Edwards' girlfriend giving birth and his resulting fatherhood, Sabonis' story told partly through his wife's perspective and his status as a second-generation NBA player, and Tatum's parents and son Deuce, with his storyline following the Celtics' route to winning the 2024 NBA Finals. The second season starred Jaylen Brown, Kevin Durant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Haliburton, and James Harden.