Director: Peter J. Scalettar
Five of the NBA's biggest names open up their 2023-24 season to the cameras in Starting 5, trading the usual highlight-reel gloss for the grind behind it.
What is Starting 5 about?
The documentary series tracks Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, Domantas Sabonis, and Jayson Tatum through a single NBA season, moving between locker rooms, family homes, and the court itself. Each episode weaves together on-court stakes, from playoff pushes to individual milestones, with the quieter parts of the job: rehabbing an injury, managing a household while traveling half the year, and figuring out what a legacy actually means once the games are over. Rather than framing any one player as the season's central figure, the series jumps between all five storylines, letting contrasts in personality and circumstance carry the narrative instead of a single arc. Teammates, coaches, and family members appear alongside the players themselves, filling out a picture of what a full NBA calendar actually demands away from the scoreboard.
Cast & crew
The series follows Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, Domantas Sabonis, and Jayson Tatum, each contributing personal, behind-the-scenes access across the 2023-24 season, spanning franchises with very different pressures and expectations.
Context & significance
Directed by Peter J. Scalettar, the 2024 sports documentary belongs to a wave of athlete-access series that trade traditional broadcast commentary for a more intimate, fly-on-the-wall approach to covering a professional season. Episodes run roughly 45 minutes and mix game footage with candid conversation, giving fans a look at the toll a full season takes even on players at the top of the sport.
Where & how to watch
Starting 5 is available on K-Time with Persian dubbing and Persian subtitles, so basketball fans in the Farsi-speaking community can follow the season without a language barrier. A K-Time account login is all that's required to start streaming, and the platform's Farsi-first layout keeps navigation simple from the home screen to the episode list.