Earlier tonight, it was reported that Netflix is cancelling the ‘Starting 5’ show after just two seasons of the NBA-based docuseries. Despite featuring star names like Jayson Tatum, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Anthony Edwards, combined with veteran superstars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and James Harden over the two seasons, they attributed this decision to poor ratings of the sports documentary.
Jalen Williams, the All-Star from the defending champions, the OKC Thunder, took to social media to express his opinions on the show upon its cancellation. He was presumably frustrated about the lack of content shown about his teammate, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who headlined the second season of the show.
“It’s cause it s**ked, they cut out all the good stuff,” wrote Williams on his IG story. Clemente Almanza, the Managing Editor of the Thunder Wire by USA Today, posted a screenshot of this post on X, which the Thunder Star has now deleted.
Jalen Williams reacts to ‘Starting 5’ being canceled pic.twitter.com/yNQeie94kA
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) November 25, 2025
Jalen Williams has missed 18 consecutive games for the Thunder, which has cost him a potential $48 million over the next five seasons, as he is no longer eligible to make the All-NBA team this season. While Williams prepares to bounce back this season after wrist surgery, he has clearly admitted that he did not approve of the difference between what was recorded and what was finally shown on the show.
Anyone who has followed the defending champions closely is aware of the close bond between the Finals MVP Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams, who was shown visiting Gilgeous-Alexander’s home several times in the documentary.
The purpose of the show was to attract casual fans by combining the grind of the season with footage from off-court moments of the stars. And while they have not released the specifics of the data behind this decision, they clearly could not generate a significant buzz among casual fans.
It was reported that this show was the NBA’s expected counterpart to the NFL’s ‘Quarterback’ docuseries, and the aim was to have a similar impact as the famous ‘Last Dance’ documentary on the Bulls, which came out during the pandemic.
Even after featuring superstar names like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and James Harden, the show only generated a 7.2 rating on IMDb and a 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The show seems to have fallen short of meeting those expectations and has thus been canceled. It will be interesting to see what these superstars who headlined the show feel about Netflix pulling the plug.
