Netflix series starring Domantas Sabonis premieres in October

The former Gonzaga star will be featured in 'Starting Five'

Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) pumps his fist after the Kings made a basket against the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter during a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at the Golden 1 Center. / Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Netflix announced the streaming platform’s 10-part sports series “Starting 5,” which highlights the lives of five NBA players - including former Gonzaga men’s basketball standout Domantas Sabonis - will premiere on Oct. 9.

Viewers will get a behind-the-scenes look at the 2023-24 NBA season through the perspectives of LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards and Sabonis. 

Per the official synopsis, the series captures the players’ “battles on and off the court as they chase greatness, push through injuries, and balance the demands of family and legacy.”

James’ Uninterrupted produced the series along with Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions and Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions. Higher Ground also had a hand in producing an Olympic men’s basketball series that’s set to premiere on Netflix in 2025.

Sabonis is the son of Naismith Basketball Hall-of-Fame center Arvydas Sabonis, who thrived with the Portland Trail Blazers after years of dominating overseas in Spain. Domantas, born in Portland, was the youngest member of Unicaja Malaga (Spain) at 18 years old but refused to sign a contract due to his desire to play college basketball. In came Gonzaga with the recruiting pitch, and the rest is history.

The 6-foot-11 Lithuanian became an NBA-level talent as a sophomore, as he averaged 17.6 points and 11.8 rebounds and had 23 double-doubles, which was the fifth-most in the country in 2015-16. After leading Gonzaga to the Sweet 16, Sabonis was the 11th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, who immediately traded his draft rights to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Sabonis was part of the blockbuster trade that sent Indiana Pacers forward Paul George to OKC in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Sabonis, the latter of whom averaged 5.9 points as a rookie, during the 2017 offseason. Sabonis elevated his game to All-Star status over his four full seasons in Indiana and had a career-best 20.3 points per game in the 2020-21 season.

Sabonis was involved in another massive deal, this time at the 2022 trade deadline, as the Pacers moved him to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for rising superstar guard Tyrese Haliburton.

Mike Brown’s free-flowing offense unlocked the superb playmaking aspect of Sabonis’ game. Alongside De’Aaron Fox, Sabonis helped the Kings reach the postseason for the first time in 16 years during his first full season with the team in 2022-23, as he took home All-NBA Third Team honors and finished seventh in MVP votes.

Sacramento couldn’t make it back-to-back playoff appearances with a ninth-place finish in the Western Conference standings in 2023-24, though Sabonis still put up historic numbers and was All-NBA once again.

Sabonis announced earlier this offseason that he’ll be changing his number from No. 10 to No. 11 this upcoming season as a nod to his father’s basketball legacy. He and his wife Shashana also named their daughter Eleven Rose Sabonis, who was born on July 11. Sabonis wore No. 11 during his two seasons at Gonzaga, where he was an All-American forward before being selected, coincidentally, 11th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft.