LeBron James NBA Docuseries ‘Starting 5’ Is a Mediocre Ode to Excellence: TV Review
variety.comAlison Herman TV Critic In the fourth episode of “Starting 5,” the Netflix docuseries tracking the 2023-2024 season of the National Basketball Association through a handful of star players, LeBron James lets off some post-game steam by teasing his wife, Savannah. “Stop!” she says, laughing. “We’re on camera!” “That’s my camera,” James replies.
The subtext is clear: Nothing will make the final cut if he doesn’t want it to. James’ production company, Uninterrupted, is the primary backer of “Starting 5,” which juxtaposes the guiding light of the Los Angeles Lakers with four colleague-rivals: Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat, Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings.
For the 10-episode season, Uninterrupted partnered with two other outfits associated with public figures: Omaha Productions, the shingle of ex-NFL quarterback Peyton Manning, and Higher Ground, the Hollywood venture of Barack and Michelle Obama.
James’ offhand comment perfectly encapsulates the trade-offs of a show like “Starting 5,” the latest celebrity spotlight to put its subject firmly in control of how they’re presented to the audience. (The trend is particularly acute in music, with sanitized accounts of stars like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish stocking various streaming services, but sports are hardly immune: Michael Jordan’s Jump 23 had a hand in “The Last Dance,” ESPN’s tribute to the greatness of…Michael Jordan.) On the one hand, the comfort of editorial control allows for access into the players’ private lives.
Read more on variety.com
