Kate Hudson’s Basketball Comedy Arrives On Netflix This Month

2 hours ago

Here’s what to expect from Running Point

This post may contain affiliate links. Learn more

Kate Hudson's Basketball Comedy Arrives On Netflix This Month

Kate Hudson is a basketball businesswoman ready to take on the patriarchy in Running Point, a new binge-worthy dramedy coming to Netflix this month. Here’s what to expect.

Running Point: Plot, Cast, Release Date & More

Movie star Kate Hudson will turn her attention to TV at the end of this month, only her fifth role in a TV series in her 27-year career. And who better to team up with than TV stalwart Mindy Kaling, whose mind has brought us Never Have I Ever, The Sex Lives of College Girls and, of course, The Mindy Project? ‘I’ve been eager to dive into something comedic with a team I admire, and this role offered a fresh challenge and was hilarious and engaging right from the start,’ Hudson tells Netflix. ‘The chance to work with people I respect and to bring a unique female perspective to a male-driven world was incredibly appealing.’

Set to premiere on Netflix, here’s what will happen in comedy drama Running Point.

Kate Hudson as Isla Gordon in Episode 101 of Running Point

What Is Running Point About?

Running Point centres on Isla Gordon (Hudson), the only daughter in a powerful family that owns one of the most famous professional basketball franchises, the Los Angeles Waves. But when a scandal forces her brother to resign as president, Isla unexpectedly finds herself top dog. Overlooked but undoubtedly ambitious, Isla seizes the opportunity, proving to her brothers, the board, the sports community and even to herself that she was the right choice for the job.

‘I really love writing shows about ambitious women,’ Kaling says, ‘whether they’re a 15-year-old girl in the Valley [Never Have I Ever] or the president of a basketball team. We wanted to ensure that audiences could see themselves in the characters’ struggles and triumphs.’

The Trailer

The Cast

Plenty of familiar faces join Hudson to round out the cast of Running Point. Scott MacArthur and Drew Tarver star as her skeptical brothers, while Max Greenfield joins the family as her fiancé. At work, Brenda Song is a high-level team staffer for the Waves – but she and Isla have a years-long history, too.

The full Running Point cats includes:

Kate Hudson as Isla Gordon
Drew Tarver as Sandy Gordon, Isla’s brother and CFO of the Waves
Scott MacArthur as Ness Gordon, Isla’s brother and general manager of the Waves
Justin Theroux as the disgraced Gordon brother
Max Greenfield as Lev Levy, Isla’s good-natured pediatrician fiancé
Brenda Song as Ali Lee, the Waves’ chief of staff who shared a dorm with Isla at college
Jay Ellis as Jay Brown, head coach
Fabrizio Guido as Jackie Moreno, a popcorn vendor at the Waves’ arena
Keyla Monterroso Mejia as Ana Moreno, Jackie’s cousin
Toby Sandeman as Marcus Winfield, a talented Waves player
Chet Hanks as Travis Bugg as the Waves’ point guard
Uche Agada as Dyson Gibbs, an eager rookie
Dane DiLiegro as Badrag Knauss, an eastern European Waves player
Roberto Sanchez as Stephen Ramirez, head of the Waves’ board

(L to R) Brenda Song as Ali and Kate Hudson as Isla Gordon in Episode 103 of Running Point.

Is Running Point Based On A True Story?

Running Point is an original series, but it does have some truth to it. Rounding out the production team with writers Kaling, Ike Barinholtz and David Stassen are the people behind the real basketball team, the Los Angeles Lakers: co-owner and president Jeanie Buss, plus the team’s manager of special projects Linda Rambis. Buss’ groundbreaking rise to power is what inspired Running Point, Hudson tells Netflix.

‘Having known Jeanie since I was a teenager, I felt a unique connection to the character,’ Hudson says. ‘Jeanie’s life and career in the male-dominated world of professional basketball are inspiring, and her willingness to let us explore a comedic version of that world was liberating. Jeanie’s openness and sense of humor allowed us to push boundaries and have fun with the character. We were able to focus on the heart and passion of a woman striving to succeed in a challenging role.’