In 2022, the Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings have negotiated a blockbuster deal that will drastically change the trajectory of both teams. The deal helped the Pacers reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2014, and the Kings ended their infamous 16-year playoff drought.
Six players were involved in the deal, but the two who played the biggest roles (so far) were Tyrese Haliburton and Domantas Sabonis. Since their signing, both have enjoyed great success. But like it or not, the two will remain connected for the rest of their careers.
Ironically, more positive news came Tuesday that added another thread between the two All-NBA players.
Because they were traded for each other, Haliburton and Sabonis never got a chance to be teammates (although they were best together). But even if they couldn’t play on the same team, they could always say they appeared on the same show.
As many readers of A Royal Pain are well aware, Sabonis was one of the five main characters on the Netflix show The Starting 5. For those unfamiliar with the premise, the show will catalog the lives of Sabonis, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, and Jimmy Butler as they navigate the trials and tribulations of the 2023-24 season. I did.
On Tuesday, it was announced that the starting five will be returning for Season 2, and this time the show will feature James Harden, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant, Jaylen Brown, and, you guessed it, Haliburton. We’re going to put a spotlight on it. The 5-Star will run through the 2024-25 campaign.
Source: Season 2 cast of Netflix’s NBA documentary series ‘Starting 5’: Kevin Durant, James Harden, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Haliburton. 🍿🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/FYlsRDLf0o
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 29, 2024
Then again, Haliburton is coming in somewhere right after Sabonis leaves. In other words, strictly speaking, the two are not actively co-starring. Still, the show will be listed on both IMDb pages.
Now, fans can debate who won in the Sabonis vs. Haliburton trade (the answer is both won) and who did a better job in the starting five.
