The new NBA season has just tipped-off, and that now also means something else for you.
The new season of the National Basketball Association documentary ‘Starting 5’ on Netflix.
Sure, this isn’t a live, game-by-game look at the best of the basketball brass, but it is the best drama series you’ll see this side of ‘Succession’. Not to mention a compelling capsule for last season. Just like Netflix did with the ‘Redeem Team’, or last year’s Paris 2024 Olympic ‘Court Of Gold’.
It’s time to meet the hoopers once again. Last year, LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, Jimmy Butler, Domantas Sabonis and 2024 NBA champion Jayson Tatum took to the court’s stage. This season, not only do we have this year’s champ and MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. We also have Eastern Conference champion and NBA finalist Tyrese Haliburton. A reigning one trying to reclaim the throne in Boston Celtic Jaylen Brown. And a couple of O.G. Hall of Famers in the form of Kevin Durant and James Harden.
Now, that’s the type of drama you want to see, in an NBA that has just been blind sided by a betting scandal involving the likes of player Terry Rozier and coach, and champion player, Chauncey Billups.
We knew the league, and sports syndicates in general, should have never bet on advertising gambling between games. Who knows where the chips will fall now.
Here, it’s a healthy hand, however. We get the inside stuff on the NBA season, playoff and formidable finals that went the entire seven game series. Seeing Shai shine is glory itself. Although it’s heartbreaking to see Haliburton going down after being so clutch, he left everyone who said he was overrated choking like the Miller time of what is now his signature celebration.
‘What the Hali’, indeed!
There’s a moving moment between Tyrese and Gilgeous-Alexander post-game, Game Seven. But the two share much more than that. It’s great to see these two young men and torch-carriers of the league be in love with more than just basketball. The SGA family is one dreams are made of and after all that (KAT voice) happened in the season, Mr. and Mrs. Haliburton to be finally get their rings.
This isn’t ‘Love Island’ for those who are calling spoilers. If you’re active on socials, you’ll have heard this announcement by now.
It’s as viral as the reaction of James Harden catching the bouquet at another friend’s wedding. But now, the Los Angeles Clipper is hearing the pitter-patter of tiny sneakers. On his quest for a ring, in what feels like an Oklahoma story, we get the real lowdown on his trade from the time he and Kevin Durant were Thunder buddies. Not to mention when those boys got back together in Brooklyn.
Kevin Durant also gets candid. Starting the show as a Sun and leaving the finale in a Houston Rocket. One of the best moments is him jawing with the original Seattle Supersonics legend and Mr. Trash Talk himself, Gary Payton. All the way to the roof.
If you liked seeing Kevin get “you’re the real MVP” emotional in ‘Court Of Gold’, when he talked about the love for the game itself, then you ain’t seen nothing yet. Netflix have just announced that they will be making another hoops documentary, solely about KD, looking deeper into this 2024 season and Paris Olympic run.
How are Amazon Prime and Peacock supposed to contend with this?
Let’s not forget Jaylen Brown either, who shows us how to get back up the mountain, before injury did to his team what it did to Hali’ in hoops hell. One of the most moving moments of the series are the ones between Brown and his boxing training grandfather. And one of the greatest scenes of the show is seeing Jaylen’s plays on the hardwood going head-to-head with Muhammed Ali shots in the ring.
Rumble, young man, rumble!
Court to canvas, this is the amazing art of basketball in all its beauty. You may wonder why this season is only eight episodes, instead of the top ten from season one, but that doesn’t matter. The episodes are still just as epic, if not more concise and compelling.
This Uninterrupted show, in association with Omaha and Higher Ground Productions, from Maverick Carter, Peyton Manning, Barack and Michelle Obama, and more, is full of big names. But who will make the third team? Steph Curry? The Joker? Luka? Giannis? Maybe even a rookie like Cooper Flagg?
Whoever makes the roster, it’s going to be another team and season to beat.
