Starting 5
Everybody knows LeBron James is pushing 40, so amazement is what comes to mind when Starting 5 gives viewers an even closer look at his life behind the curtains. The just-released Netflix series — backstopped by his company Uninterrupted, Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, and Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions — deftly delves into his love of hoops and, perhaps more importantly, his family throughout the 2023-24 season of the National Basketball Association. And the result is nothing short of stunning; for all his time in the spotlight since he was dubbed The Chosen One as a high school wunderkind, there is evidently still a lot to be learned about him, and what makes him tick.
Considering the timing, Starting 5’s arrival provides both casual observers and longtime habitues of the pro hoops scene with a fitting preamble to the upcoming season from James’ vantage point. It will be his 22nd, tying a league record, but he continues to blaze trails even among opponents a generation removed from his. In fact, his son Bronny is a teammate, and while the worth and worthiness — or lack thereof — of the latter to don the fabled Lakers jersey can be subject to debate, the gravity of the development remains clear to all and sundry.
True, Starting 5 likewise shines the spotlight on Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, Domantas Sabonis, and Jason Tatum, and their exposure enhances appreciation of and for the proceedings. The similarities, and contrasts, between them are equally revealing and stark, and they come out all the better for their willingness to open their hearts and minds — and homes — to otherwise-invasive recording equipment for posterity. Regardless of personality and makeup, it’s not easy to shun whatever privacy is left to them for the benefit of fans and critics alike.
Bottom line, however, Starting 5 works because James is completely invested in the outcome. No doubt, the others proved to be just as immersed in the experience because, well, if the series is good for the best of the best, then it must be good for them, too. In any case, it manages to distinguish itself from such sports documentaries as Break Point, Full Swing, and even Hard Knocks because the protagonists are all in and caught raw. The slick production values notwithstanding, there can be no denying the concerted effort to make it revelatory first and foremost. Highly recommended.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.