Life in the NBA is no walk in the park, as LeBron James reveals in Netflix’s new 10-part series, Starting 5. The show, which follows five of the league’s top stars through the 2023-24 season, dropped its first trailer on September 17.
In it, James shares how his family supports him through the grueling demands of the basketball season.
“Losing does hurt,” Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler begins in the trailer before James chimes in: “But what always brings me back is my family,” as footage of the father-of-three embracing his daughter, Zhuri Nova James, 9, is shown.
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Starting 5 tracks James, Butler, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, and Domantas Sabonis, offering an in-depth look at their lives both on and off the court.
Netflix promises the series will explore how these NBA stars manage their personal lives, deal with injuries, and pursue greatness during a demanding season.
Butler, 35, describes himself as a “king of all trades,” following his decision to venture into other businesses beyond basketball, including his coffee company and musical projects. “I think that’s what the saying is, a Black king of all trades,” Butler quips.
Edwards, 23, reflected on his rapid rise to fame and Minnesota’s thrilling playoff run, which fueled his “Bring Ya Ass” campaign. “It’s hectic, but I don’t think nobody could stop me,” the Timberwolves star says in the trailer.
“No one’s ever seen me in an intimate space like this,” says 28-year-old Sabonis, a Lithuanian basketball player who was drafted in 2016. Sabonis has turned Sacramento’s poor luck around as one of the team’s biggest stars, but fans also may remember him as the player who Warriors star Draymond Green stomped on during the 2023-24 season, resulting in a suspension for Green.
Starting 5 follows Tatum through the Celtics’ championship season and his first NBA title. In the trailer, Tatum explains the essence of the game to him as an individual, stating, “It might be a game for you, but this is like, my life.”
“There’s an expectation that comes with it,” Tatum adds of playing in the league as a reporter accuses him of not playing as hard as his opponents during a midseason press conference.
Savannah James, who has kept a low profile since marrying LeBron in 2013, stressed the point of “Family over everything” during her interview.
She told PEOPLE in an earlier interview that she felt ready to share more of her personal life now that their children—Zhuri, Bronny, 19, who was recently drafted to the Lakers, and Bryce, 16—are older.
The series will begin streaming on Netflix on October 9.
