Netflix is stepping away from one of its most ambitious basketball projects. Multiple industry voices say the streamer plans to cancel “Starting 5” after two seasons, a surprising move considering the series delivered marquee names, historic moments, and a built-in NBA Finals showdown that most sports docs would dream about, per SportsBusinessJournal. Still, the numbers didn’t match the expectations.

The series followed five players through the grind of an NBA season. Season 2 featured Tyrese Haliburton, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Jaylen Brown. The year ended with Haliburton and Shai battling in a seven-game Finals, a perfect setup on paper. Yet interest stalled. Third-party analytics showed that “Starting 5” couldn’t keep up with the NFL’s “Quarterback,”

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