“Starting 5” the new NBA docuseries from Netflix premieres on October 9th. We break down the trailer featuring Minnesota’s very own, Anthony Edwards.
Netflix just dropped the trailer for Starting 5, and the preview should have Wolves fans buzzing. This new docuseries is set to give us an all-access pass into the lives of five NBA stars: LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler, Domantas Sabonis, and our very own Anthony Edwards. Now, let’s take a moment to appreciate how huge this is for Wolves Nation. For years, the Timberwolves have been buried in the NBA basement, getting next to zero national coverage and minimal airtime on ESPN. Fast forward to now—our franchise player is front and center on a Netflix series that will be watched by millions worldwide.
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know the potential impact a series like this can have on a player’s profile. Look at Quarterback, Netflix’s docuseries about the NFL. Sure, Patrick Mahomes doesn’t need any more hype, but it was Kirk Cousins—the Vikings QB—who saw his profile skyrocket. Cousins, who’s never been more than a middle-of-the-pack quarterback, suddenly became a household name because people got a peek behind the curtain. Now, Anthony Edwards is already a star on the rise, but this series could launch him into a new stratosphere.
Let’s be real, NBA fans know how good Ant is. They know he’s on track to become the face of the league, but this kind of mainstream exposure? This is how you go from a star to a superstar. If Starting 5 does for Edwards what Quarterback did for Cousins, we’re talking about the kind of attention that can elevate someone to LeBron or Steph levels of popularity.
The trailer gives us just a taste of what’s to come. By all accounts, the series will follow these guys through the ups and downs of the 2023-24 NBA season, mixing in their personal lives with their on-court triumphs and struggles. LeBron’s gonna be LeBron—we know what to expect from him. He’ll say all the right things, toss out some carefully crafted soundbites, and curated antics like his Halloween zombie costume for good measure. But let’s be honest, the real juice is going to come from Edwards.
Just from the trailer, you can tell Ant is going to be the most entertaining part of the show. There’s something so authentic about him, whether he’s belting out “Show Me How You Shine” in the tunnel or trash-talking opponents. At 46 seconds, he’s jawing with Jamal Murray, and by 1:28, he’s chirping at his boyhood idol KD, telling him it “won’t be that easy no more!” The guy’s confidence is infectious, and unlike LeBron’s perfectly manicured image, Edwards gives off this raw, unfiltered energy that’s just magnetic.
And we can’t ignore the personal side of things either. At 57 seconds, there’s an incredibly tender moment where we see Edwards looking at his newborn daughter in the delivery room. Moments like this humanize a player who, to a lot of fans, might just be a highlight reel of dunks and trash talk. Edwards has this unique ability to flip between being a stone-cold competitor and this charismatic, likable guy you can’t help but root for.
But let’s get to what really matters: the basketball. The series is going to showcase Edwards’ biggest moments from last season, and let’s not forget, the Wolves made a hell of a playoff run. In the trailer, Edwards is leaping off the screen with ferocious dunks. There’s that terrifying fall in the NBA Cup game against OKC (1:35), where every Wolves fan collectively held their breath, only for Edwards to pop right back up because, of course, he did. At the 1:15 mark, we get a shot of Edwards’ game-sealing block against the Pacers, where he basically flies to the ceiling only to be stopped when he smashes his head against the rim. Michael Grady’s “And gooood night!” punctuates the epic moment, which may be the most electrifying part of the trailer.
The contrast between Edwards and the other stars in this doc is going to be undenaible. LeBron and Jimmy Butler are going to try to play the elder statesmen role, dishing out “wisdom” and trying to one-up each other with stories of their greatness. Jimmy already cringingly refers to himself as the “Black King of All Trades” in the trailer, which is likely just one of many nauseating soundbites we’re in store for. In stark contrast, Edwards is going to steal the show with his off-the-cuff wit and that cocky charm we’ve all come to love.
Look, Jayson Tatum and Sabonis are great players, but they don’t have the charisma that Edwards brings. The guy is magnetic, and when he says, “I don’t think nobody can stop me,” it feels more, tongue in cheek, like he’s delivering a line straight out of WWE than just another sports cliché. He says it with this self-awareness that makes it feel less like arrogance and more like he’s in on the joke, even though he’s stating the truth.
And as for the actual season they’ll be covering, Edwards’ journey will rise above most. Sabonis’ Kings were elimintated in the play-in round, Butler was sidelined with injury, and LeBron’s Lakers got bounced in the first round. Ultimately Tatum will take the crown after leading the Celtics to the title, but the lack of post-season success from the other three stars will give plenty of screen time to the Wolves’ thrilling run—culminating in that epic series against the Nuggets and the 20-point Game 7 comeback. That’s the stuff legends are made of, and Edwards is just getting started.
At the end of the day, this series is setting the stage for Edwards to become the face of the NBA. With more national TV games and the Netflix spotlight, the Wolves are finally getting the perfect storm of attention they deserve. Now it’s up to Edwards and the team to capitalize on the momentum. If they do, this could be the beginning of something unprecedented in Wolves history. Get your popcorn ready—this is going to be one hell of a ride! Starting 5 premieres on October 9th on Netflix, and we’ll be here at Canis Hoopus to break it all down.