Payton Pritchard

 

Payton Michael Pritchard (born January 28, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) and weighing 195 pounds (88 kg), Pritchard plays point guard and shooting guard. He played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks, where he was named Pac-12 Player of the Year, consensus First Team All-American, and won the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard as a senior. Pritchard was selected 26th overall by the Celtics in the 2020 NBA Draft. He won an NBA championship with Boston in 2024 and was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2025.

 

Early Life 

High School Career

 

Pritchard was born in Tualatin, Oregon, and attended West Linn High School in West Linn, Oregon. He led West Linn to four consecutive Oregon Class 6A state championships from 2013 to 2016. As a junior, Pritchard averaged 22 points and 5.8 assists per game, earning 2014 and 2015 Todd Pratt Player of the Year and Oregon Class 6A Player of the Year honors. As a senior, he averaged 23.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.1 steals per game while being named the 2015 Gatorade Oregon Player of the Year.

 

College Career

 

Pritchard attended the University of Oregon and played four seasons for the Ducks from 2016 to 2020. As a sophomore in 2017-18, he earned Second Team All-Pac-12 honors. As a junior in 2018-19, despite a slow start, Pritchard led Oregon to an improbable Pac-12 Tournament Championship and the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. He averaged 12.9 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.9 rebounds while earning Pac-12 Tournament MVP honors. After initially declaring for the 2019 NBA Draft, he withdrew to return for his senior season.

 

As a senior in 2019-20, Pritchard established himself as one of college basketball’s best players. On January 18, 2020, he hit a 30-foot shot with three seconds left to complete a 16-point comeback in overtime against Washington. On January 30, he became Oregon’s all-time assists leader with 21 points in a win over California. On February 22, Pritchard scored a career-high 38 points in overtime against Arizona to keep Oregon’s Pac-12 title hopes alive. He finished the season averaging 20.5 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.3 rebounds, earning Pac-12 Player of the Year, consensus All-American honors, and the Bob Cousy Award.

 

NBA Career

Boston Celtics (2020–Present)

 

Pritchard was selected 26th overall on November 18, 2020, and signed a four-year, $10.5 million rookie contract on November 24. He impressed in the preseason, scoring 17 points in his debut against Philadelphia.

 

During the 2024 NBA Finals against Dallas, Pritchard made two memorable buzzer-beaters. In Game 2 on June 9, he hit a 34-foot three-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer in a 105-98 win. In Game 5 on June 17, he made a half-court shot (measured between 43 and 50 feet) at the halftime buzzer as Boston won 106-88 to clinch the franchise’s first championship since 2008.

 

In 2024-25, Pritchard enjoyed a breakout season as Boston’s sixth man, averaging career-highs of 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 42.7% from three-point range. On March 5, 2025, he scored a career-high 43 points with 10 three-pointers alongside Derrick White’s 41 points in a 128-118 win over Portland. Pritchard and White became the first Celtics teammates to both make nine-plus three-pointers and score 40-plus points in the same game. He was named the 2025 NBA Sixth Man of the Year.

 

Through the 2025-26 season, Pritchard is averaging 17.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game.

 

International Career

 

Pritchard represented the United States at multiple youth tournaments, including the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup in Egypt, where Team USA won bronze and Pritchard was named to the All-Star Five.

 

Personal Life

 

Pritchard married YouTuber Emma MacDonald in August 2024. The ceremony was officiated by former Celtics teammate Blake Griffin.

 

References

 

External Links

* Payton Pritchard on NBA.com

* Payton Pritchard on Basketball-Reference.com