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SGA in Starting 5 Season 2 Puts OKC’s Title Run Through the Lens
Oklahoman-Imagn Images

With the hype of the 2025-26 NBA season coming in hot, there’s one more reason to get excited. Season 2 of the Netflix sports documentary series “Starting 5” is set to drop on October 16th. While this may be another addition to the playlist, it’s going to hit harder than most people expect. That’s because Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the featured athletes for this season.

With SGA among the new highlight athletes of “Starting 5,” fans can expect deeper insights and a behind-the-scenes look into OKC’s first championship run. Sure, it’s a good win to have the season MVP featured. However, the show will also be highlighting the NBA Finals and the Thunder’s first championship.

SGA in Starting 5 Season 2 Puts OKC’s Title Run Through the Lens

There aren’t many stories behind the scenes about OKC’s triumph, and this show is about to be the first. Fans will be going all over it, and the NBA world will be loving it when it comes out right as the regular season begins.

A Collection of Stories

Starting 5 was a success in its first season, highlighting the lives of five stars who are gracing the NBA stage today. Season 1 showed Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, Domantas Sabonis, Jayson Tatum, and LeBron James in various stories. However, it seems that the Netflix crew may have struck gold in its selection of Season 2 athletes.

Season 2 will be featuring Jaylen Brown, Kevin Durant (who will play the Thunder on opening night), James Harden, Tyrese Haliburton, and SGA. This is already a win as it guarantees coverage from the season to the NBA Finals. But it’s been rare that a documentary has ever managed to cover both sides. The Oklahoma City Thunder claimed its first title in a seven-game  thriller against the Indiana Pacers. With both of their stars in the show, expect this one to be a hit.

Not only is it a good coverage, but it is also the first NBA Finals in a while to reach seven games. The last one was in 2016 when the Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors. It was a historic championship, and so was the Thunder’s finish last June with SGA leading the way. Haliburton’s heroics in the playoffs would also make for a promising storyline to watch.

A Season to Remember for SGA

OKC was one of the teams that had not won a championship (although they share a history with the Seattle Supersonics, who won in 1970), and their title run earlier this year was a story to remember. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a landmark season of his own. He won the season MVP, WCF MVP, and of course, Finals MVP on top of his first NBA title. The 2025 MVP was in a league of his own as he tore through record books while leading OKC to its promised title.

It was a lot of firsts for SGA, who showed the rest of the world that even a crop of young players can finish at the top. His leadership in Oklahoma City has grown well, and he has now become one of the prominent faces of the league. The mere fact that he’s already had one of the best individual seasons ever makes it a good highlight for the Starting 5.

Gilgeous-Alexander averaged a career-high 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, 5.0 assists, and 1.7 steals per game in 2024-25. It was a year where he played the most since his rookie year, and it proved to be his best one yet in a Thunder uniform. This historic run by an OKC player not only shows a lot about their success, but how the city reaps from their bigger glory in the game.

What Does it Mean for OKC?

Oklahoma City is one of the smaller markets of the NBA, and the fact that it just won a title means a lot. No one expected to see OKC winning a title, especially as they had their chances back then. After many setbacks, fate would end up rewarding them for their patience. This was the first trip to the Finals by the Thunder since 2012. They’ve had a lot of times where they had a strong roster. However, most of those ended up short and finally led to a hard rebuild in 2021.

A few years later, that paid off, and now, Oklahoma City is a city of champions. The media attention is starting to grow in OKC, and investors are in droves. With Netflix covering SGA’s end and by extension, the NBA Finals in Oklahoma, it’s a win-win scenario. After all, “Starting 5” is a promising show in its own right.

To see the story of the Thunder’s first championship on Netflix is going to bring tears to many. Be it hardcore fans who have waited for long or simply just a basketball fan, this season of “Starting 5” is a gift from the basketball gods. From OKC’s solid chemistry, to the ins-and-outs of their historic campaign, it is indeed a must-watch for any basketball fanatic.

SGA in “Starting 5” season 2 is a bonus, perhaps a very lucky pick by the producers of the show. Now fans are itching to see it. It’s time to witness how the SGA and the Thunder took the NBA by storm—from a different perspective.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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