NBA fans weren’t exactly thrilled to learn that one of the league’s breakout docuseries has been shut down just as it was picking up momentum.
After only two seasons, Netflix pulled the plug on “Starting 5,” the behind-the-scenes series that followed five NBA stars through the day-to-day grind of the regular season — the workouts, the travel, and all the stuff fans never get to see.
The first season spotlighted LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, and Domantas Sabonis. Season 2 shifted the focus to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP storyline in Oklahoma City and Tyrese Haliburton’s rise with the Indiana Pacers.
As soon as word broke, fans started going back and forth online about why the series didn’t make it to a third run. Some pinned it on the cast choices; others blamed Netflix’s habit of cutting shows too soon.
One fan posted, “They had Jalen Brown and Sabonis and wondered why nobody watched.”
BREAKING: Netflix is reportedly canceling “Starting 5” , per @SBJ
(h/t @ClutchPoints ) pic.twitter.com/4timu82lA2
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 25, 2025
Another said, “Man, Netflix really did it again, huh? Canceling Starting 5 before it even gets a real shot… classic move. Feels like every time a show starts getting good, they slam the brakes and leave us hanging.”
A third chimed in, “They should do ‘Off the Bench’ next. We know less about those guys. The two-way life is fascinating. Or the guys like Mac McClung who go move around between various nba and g league teams.”
Despite the star power attached, viewership never hit the mark Netflix wanted, which ultimately ended the run even with big names like Kevin Durant, Jaylen Brown, and James Harden showing up in season 2.
“It was pretty boring”: Jalen Williams and NBA fans react to the cancellation
Plenty of people pointed fingers at the cast or the storylines, but others agreed with Thunder forward Jalen Williams, who didn’t hold back when he reacted to the news.
On Instagram, he posted the update with the blunt caption:
“It’s cause it suxked. They cut out all the good stuff.”
Fans echoed the same sentiment in the comments.
One wrote, “I never even got to the 2nd season. Only watched half of the first season. It was pretty boring.”
I never even got to the 2nd season. Only watched half of the first season. It was pretty boring
— rob wic (@rjwicker) November 26, 2025
Another added, “Nah fr they showed Halliburton’s girl more than they showed Okc.”
A third pushed back and said, “it’s because OKC sucks and not an interesting team. You all can’t draw fans.”
Netflix hasn’t released its internal numbers yet — that data for Season 2 isn’t expected until early 2026 — so the streamer hasn’t given any official explanation beyond the quiet cancellation.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
