Netflix’s introspective NBA docuseries “Starting 5” soon returns for Season 2 with a new cast featuring five of the league’s premier players.
“Starting 5,” which debuted last year, offers fans an unfiltered behind-the-scenes look at the lives of five NBA stars on and off the court. The docuseries documents the players’ quests to reach the pinnacle of their sport while navigating injury setbacks and family commitments.
Season 1, which covered the 2023-24 season, was headlined by Los Angeles Lakers superstar forward LeBron James. He was joined by Jimmy Butler III, Anthony Edwards, Domantas Sabonis and Jayson Tatum in the 10-part series. Though the second season of “Starting 5” will be limited to eight episodes, anticipation is growing, given the intriguing quintet that will be spotlighted this time.
When Is ‘Starting 5’ Season 2’s Release?
On Thursday, Netflix announced that all eight 45-minute episodes of Season 2 of “Starting 5,” which chronicles the 2024-25 campaign, will be released exclusively on Netflix on Oct. 16.
The docuseries’ latest iteration will feature the leaders of 2025 NBA Finals squads, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton.
Rounding out the new cast are the Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown, the Los Angeles Clippers’ James Harden, and newly acquired Houston Rockets superstar forward Kevin Durant. However, Durant will be representing his former team, the Phoenix Suns, in the show, given that he was traded this offseason.
JAYLEN BROWN
KEVIN DURANT
SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER
TYRESE HALIBURTON
JAMES HARDENStarting 5 Season 2 drops October 16. pic.twitter.com/DXyHfsDeyT
— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) September 18, 2025
Season 2 will provide insight into Gilgeous-Alexander’s first MVP season that saw the three-time All-Star spearhead a dominant 68-win OKC team en route to his first NBA championship. The Thunder narrowly overcame an underdog 50-win Indiana squad that continuously defied expectations and secured one of the most unlikely Finals berths in recent memory.
“Starting 5” will also shed light on the Pacers’ midseason turnaround, culminating in them coming within one win of their first title before Haliburton suffered a devastating torn right Achilles tendon.
Other storylines include Brown’s bid to defend Boston’s 2024 championship fresh off a Finals MVP victory. Though the Celtics enjoyed a 61-win campaign, they, too, were derailed by an Achilles injury to Brown’s co-star, Tatum, in Round 2 of the postseason.
Meanwhile, the 2018 league MVP, Harden, spent Year 16 proving he is still an elite guard, orchestrating a competitive 50-win Clippers team.
Lastly, Durant will be shown weathering a tumultuous final season in Phoenix, during which the star-studded squad underperformed and slipped to a 36-win finish. As such, Season 2 of “Starting 5” appears poised to deliver another engrossing chapter, building on the success of its first installment.
