The life of Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum was heavily documented last season for Netflix’s Starting 5, which just recently premiered on the platform. Alongside fellow NBA stars LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, Jimmy Butler, and Domantas Sabonis, Tatum was followed throughout the course of the 2023-24 NBA season.
The year ended well for Boston, as Tatum helped the Celtics capture their 18th championship in franchise history. While the documentary made sure to capture that moment, the most prominent Tatum storyline throughout the course of the show was his close relationship with his family, including his son, Deuce, and his mother, Brandi.
And on Christmas Day, Tatum was stressed.
Christmas was a family affair for the Tatums
In the fourth episode of the show (around the 33-minute mark) Tatum and the Celtics are suiting up for their Christmas Day game against the Los Angeles Lakers. However, the game is in California.
Obviously, Tatum wanted to be with his family on Christmas, so he had a plan to bring Deuce and Brandi out to LA for the game. But they ran into problems.
As told on the show, the plane they were supposed to take was incapacitated to some degree, meaning they were unable to take off. This meant they weren’t able to get to the game on time, and Tatum was stressed.
He detailed the moment, noting that he continuously looked over to their seats throughout the course of the night, constantly disappointed that they weren’t there.
Luckily, Deuce and Brandi found a way. Another route to LA came about, and they ended up making it to the game.
The next time Tatum looked over, he saw his family in the seats, and the entire mood of the show shifted. It was clear that Deuce and his mom being there meant a lot to the Celtics star.
“That was like a bucket-list moment,” Tatum said. “Playing in LA against the Lakers on Christmas. Have my mom and my son courtside there. It was a special moment. It doesn’t get any better than playing on Christmas Day in that environment in that moment. That was, for sure, something I’ll always remember.
Boston won the game, climbing back after a fairly rocky start against the Lakers. And after the game, Tatum met up with his family, as captured by the show, and it was all smiles.
For as important as basketball is to Tatum, his family is No. 1. The show proved that, and this was the perfect moment to detail that reality.
Watch Starting 5 on Netflix here.