If you’re looking for something to watch between tip-offs, these five basketball shows will keep you locked in — on the court, off the court, and everywhere in between. With the NBA season in full swing, it’s easy to forget that some of the most compelling stories aren’t happening during the game, but in the lives, rivalries, and behind-the-scenes moments that surround it. Whether you’ve been glued to the league for years or you’re just now catching the hype, these series deliver all the drama, personality, and history you’re craving.
Let’s start with one of the biggest sports docuseries of the year: Netflix’s Court of Gold. For the first time ever, top media outlets were granted true behind-the-scenes access throughout the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, capturing the journey of Team USA, France, Serbia, and Canada as they battled their way toward men’s basketball gold. It’s intimate, high-stakes, and full of moments fans never get to see on broadcast.
This series generated huge media buzz, especially considering we get insight not only to Team USA led by the heavy hitters Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James, but to international NBA superstars representing their home countries on the biggest scale. We got to see 3X NBA MVP Nikola Jokic who played for Serbia, 2024 ROTY Victor Wembanyama who anchored France, and Shai Gilgeous Alexander who was the front man for Canada, just before his first NBA MVP and NBA Championship season, to name a few.
A true treat for basketball fans of all kinds but pop culture stans alike, due to the biggest American superstars in the NBA all on the same team, and star studded cameras including ESPN’s Malika Andrews, Former superstar and Team USA leading scorer Carmelo Anthony and even former president Obama.
With three of the four teams the series covers taking Gold, Silver and Bronze, the overlap of iconic moments amongst this group is almost unfathomable, especially considering that both France and Serbia (Silver and Bronze) almost slayed the dragon that is Team USA.
Being able to relive one of the best Olympic Men’s basketball runs in history with behind the scenes content had the internet losing their minds. With generational meme’s being born from Kevin Durant’s “That chemistry gonna help you when you have to guard Steph?” to Anthony Edward’s infamous encounter with former President Obama, “Court Of Gold” is the perfect way to learn more about the big names in the NBA if you’re not familiar, or get your fix of your favorite players.
It’s hard to follow “Court of Gold” but if anything could do it, it would be “Starting Five.” Another Netflix original which is similar to COG, “Starting Five” follows NBA players during an entire season, rather than a month. With peeks into their personal life, media noise, and their goal of winning an NBA title.
With their second season having released just over a month ago, the series follows five players, two of them being greatest hoopers to come out of the 2010’s, veterans LA Clipper’s James Harden and Phoenix Sun’s Kevin Durant in their 17th and 18th NBA seasons. The Boston Celtics very own Jaylen Brown after their 2024 NBA Championship season where he was awarded Finals MVP.
The final two players are Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Halliburton following some breakout seasons which launched him into an All-Star caliber player with an absolutely insane post-season and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in his first MVP season which led to an NBA Championship, the OKC Thunder’s first championship in organization history in addition to being named Finals MVP.
Now going into last season, I’m almost certain no one would’ve thought that these five players would have been the perfect players for starting five, but Netflix truly struck GOLD. James Harden and Kevin Durant discuss their careers in a way that’s a bit different, speaking on growth, trolling the media, and even their relationship with each other, having been teammates when they were just starting their career for the OKC Thunder, to more recent years with the Brooklyn Nets.
Jaylen Brown struggled with his own injuries throughout the season, then losing his right hand man in Celtic’s Jason Tatum to a gruesome injury late in the season where they lost to a historic New York Knicks team.
We get to see Tyrese Haliburton from a struggling Indiana team and being anonymously voted “Most overrated” by his league peers to pulling off one of the most shocking playoff runs, characterized by gritty underdog play as the fourth seed. Historic wins, 20 point deficit comebacks and iconic buzzer beaters became the Pacers identity which got them all the way to the NBA Finals where they met Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder, a young team constantly overlooked and doubted.
You really couldn’t have asked for better players and story lines to follow, for what the league looked like last season. I don’t even think Netflix knew they hit the nail on the head until the latter half of the season. With journeys that are ever so intertwined, “Starting Five” is an amazing watch that will leave you feeling more connected to the five players followed in the series and look forward to seeing not only how this coming season pans out for them, but how Netflix plans to top it.
With two series down, the third is for those who are a bit more well versed in the basketball realm, for those who got to experience the change in the league during the post MJ era. This transitional time for the NBA from the late 90’s into the 2000’s can be characterized by numerous players, but no impact could be noted more than THE Allen Iverson.
Telling his story on his own terms, AI gets candid on life before, during, and after the NBA in the recently released three part series on Amazon Prime.
“Allen Iv3erson.” A three part series of his life co-produced by Stephen Curry’s “Unanimous Media” and Shaquile O’ Neal’s “Jersey Legends” has been out for just about a month and has been hitting old hoop heads with waves of nostalgia as the rockstar went down memory lane.
Though the older crowd is loving it, doesn’t mean the younger, less familiar crowd won’t. Get to see the player who took the lashings for your favorite players who followed to have more agency and independence when it came to fashion, style of play, and off the court buzz, no player had made waves we’re still seeing today.
For the final two, I couldn’t finish the list without including the biggest rivalry in league history. These two docuseries deliver everything basketball fans crave: superstar moments, behind-the-scenes tension, cultural impact, and the kind of storytelling only the league’s most legendary franchises can inspire. “Legacy: The True Story of the L.A. Lakers” and “Celtics City” are must-watch dives into the past and present of the two teams who shaped and continue to fuel the greatest rivalry in NBA history.
“Legacy: The True Story of the L.A. Lakers,” brings Hollywood lights, dynasty pressure, and the making of basketball’s biggest brand to the screen. Streaming on Hulu, Legacy explores the internal and external struggles, triumphs, and pivotal moments that built the LA Lakers dynasty through its many eras. It chronicles Dr. Jerry Buss’s transformation of the team into a global icon, the birth of Showtime, the intensity of the Kobe–Shaq era, and the modern championship pursuits with LeBron James.
What makes Legacy stand out is its candid approach to the people and events behind the franchise. The series examines the Buss family’s internal struggles, the enormous pressure of championship expectations, and the larger-than-life personalities that defined each era. Viewers get a full sense of why the Lakers became the NBA’s most glamorous and sometimes chaotic dynasty, balancing star power, family drama, and relentless ambition. This is more than a history of wins and losses; it is a portrait of a franchise that became a cultural phenomenon.
On the other side of the country, “Celtics City” offers a just as compelling look at a franchise built on identity, tradition, and a deep connection to its city. Streaming on HBO Max, “Celtics City” digs into what made Boston the standard of excellence in the league for decades. From Bill Russell’s groundbreaking leadership to Larry Bird’s fierce competitiveness and the championship resurgence of today’s team, the series explores the values, grit, and pride that define the Celtics.
Through interviews with players, coaches, and insiders, as well as archival footage, “Celtics City” paints a vivid picture of a team driven by purpose and a commitment to excellence. It highlights how the Celtics’ culture has remained consistent over generations, emphasizing hard work, loyalty, and a relentless desire to win. This isn’t a story about glamour; it’s a story about soul, identity, and the enduring power of basketball to unite a city and a franchise.
If you want to hear about GOAT discussions, championship rings, and the fuel that powers one of the most enduring rivalries in sports history, you cannot speak about one of these teams without mentioning the other. Watching Legacy and Celtics City back-to-back is like experiencing the rivalry itself, from both sides of the country, and from both sides of basketball history.
