Starting 5: il quintetto iniziale

This show builds up an aura around the NBA, perfectly capturing the essence of characters within the NBA. The old guard of guys like the king Lebron as they move onto the next chapter of their careers not being the MVP caliber player anymore while still being able to defy father time. Or even the more in your face type of players guys like Ant-Man Edward's or Jimmy Butler, showing these personalities off the floor as well depicting the toll the NBA has on a players body and its impact on their family and the dynamics the players have with their families.

The show is however very convoluted, every episode being a mix of every player i think that if they'd dedicated each episode to just one player instead of traveling the corse of a season it would've been easier to understand especially since you'd have to assume this is aimed towards kids and their first exposure into the NBA. It also forces a lot of narratives and pushes agendas to give to the stars of the show not really accepting the reality of it.

I really really like the fact that they showed us the human side of the players and had some focus on their personal lives and families.

But i think there was actually too much of that and not enough focus on the actual basketball being played.

Not talking about stats or showing great games of the players, only a few highlights.

Plus the games represented such a small part of the screen time, it was honestly a dissapointment for me.

I watched a lot of netflix sports docu and this was my least favorite, if u compare it to the NFL's "Quarterback" and "Reciever", u will see that in those shows there was much more focus on the sport, showing the games, talking about the prep and even analizing them after they were played, Im not even a football fan and i was really invested in finding out whats going to happend, in this show i didnt feel that (and im an nba fan).

So for me its not that i dont wanna see their personal lifes and know them as people (for example i really like domas and jimmy butler after watching the show), but i think the balance was off here.

An interesting insight into the minds of young and older athletes. At this level confidence is everything but confidence is generated in many different ways.

Well made. With significant access comes exposure. The youth of Anthony Edwards is most likely the single thing that holds him back.

Jason Taytum is the one to watch....his ability knows no bounds.

The league is a complicated and diverse universe and the starting 5 reveals at least some of that.

For new fans of the game, check out old school trailers of the greats to build knowledge.

For die hard fans....you'll always want more anyway.

Enjoyable but not enough to bring new fans to the game...in my opinion.

I am not a basketball fan because where I'm from (South Africa) the NBA is honestly not a huge thing. I watched this series and I honestly not only enjoyed the perspectives of the players and the work they put it and how they deal with loss, but I really learnt alot about basketball I'm general. This honestly turned me into a basketball fan and I am looking forward to watching my first NBA game. Even though on my side the games play at midnight (6-8 time difference) depending which team is playing......This is my Top3 Sports Documentary: 1. Drive to Survive 2. The Starting 5 3. The Last Dance.

Although I am an huge NBA fan, I can say that they chose the wrong players for the TV series. Mostly bragging for everything and for sure, keep kids out of watching this TV series! Not that I was expecting to watch humble human beings in US sports but this was eye-opening on how this NBA stars are living.

* Potential for Bias: With LeBron James involved as a producer, there might be a concern about objectivity, especially when it comes to portraying his own career.

** Lack of critical reflection: The players might not be truly open to examining their flaws or shortcomings, leading to a somewhat sanitized version of their personalities and careers.