Netflix just released its documentary “Starting 5,” which follows Jayson Tatum, LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, Jimmy Butler and Domantas Sabonis behind the scenes of the 2023-24 season.

But if Tatum had been a little less confident, the starting 5 might not have considered him.

The Boston Celtics star told reporters Thursday that when he was first approached about taking part in the documentary, it was suggested to him that he could wait until next year and potentially be the “star” of the show instead of one NBA legend like James is eclipsed.

However, Tatum had no interest in waiting – partly because he was confident that the 2023/24 season could be something special.

“When they came to me with the idea, they said at the time that LeBron was in it, and honestly he was like, ‘Yo, you could wait until season two. Obviously, LeBron is there; “You could potentially be the star of season two,” Tatum said.

“I thought, ‘No, I want to be in the first part.’ And I thought, ‘I think we’re going to win a championship.’ And we did.”

Remember, this spot came to Tatum before the Celtics played a single game last season. But Tatum was confident in his squad, which had reached the Eastern Conference finals in 2023 and the NBA Finals the season before and had signed Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in the offseason.

He believed he could give the Netflix team something special to document, and he made that belief a reality when the Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals. Netflix’s cameras captured Tatum’s emotional celebration with his son Deuce as the confetti fell at the TD Garden, and Tatum relived the moment Wednesday night by watching the final episode of the documentary.

“I’m not going to lie, I moved on to Episode 10 last night,” Tatum said. “I just wanted to see what it was like. I was emotional in a good way, reliving the moments of realizing a lifelong dream, all the behind-the-scenes stuff.”

“It really made me happy to see that on TV last night, to relive the moment of us winning a championship.”

The Celtics will have another chance to celebrate their latest title on opening night when they raise Banner 18 and accept their championship rings before their Oct. 22 game against the New York Knicks. But after that, they will quickly turn the tide and launch an attack on Banner 19.