Two things stood out about the 2025 NBA Finals. One, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers in an epic seven-game series. Second, that Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton went out with a torn ACL. 

After the Thunder won it all, it was their MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who graciously visited Haliburton to check on him, per the Netflix docuseries Starting Five. In the show, the cameras followed a jubilant SGA going to see Haliburton in the locker room and exchanging positive words. 

“Tyrese, I'm so sorry,” SGA said. “No, it's all right, Congratulations, bro”, Haliburton replied. 

In the end, SGA finished a season that was truly the definition of complete. He won the scoring title, league MVP, and the Finals MVP. Altogether, SGA averaged 32.7 points per game and became the first player since Michael Jordan to sweep those awards in one season.  

Meanwhile, Haliburton received the grim news that he would not play for the 2025-2026 season. Leading up to his injury, Haliburton was very much the go-to guy on the Pacers. His clutch performances in the postseason made him a popular folk hero in Indiana. 

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The Starting Five is in keeping with the best of sports documentaries.

The most incredible sports documentaries capture the best of sports—drama, triumph, tragedy, artistry, character, etc. From Baseball to When We Were Kings to The Last Dance, the best of the best follow that template. 

That is now becoming true with Starting Five. The series follows some of the biggest names in the NBA with behind-the-scenes footage. In the first season, players such as LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, and Jayson Tatum. This season, in addition to SGA and Haliburton, it will follow the likes of Jaylen Brown, Kevin Durant, and James Harden. 

Starting Five is produced by three production companies. James' company, Uninterrupted. Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions. And Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama's Higher Ground Productions.