Payton Pritchard: From Oregon Duck to NBA Champion

Payton Michael Pritchard, born on January 28, 1998, is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Pritchard's journey to the NBA was paved with success at every level, from high school to college.

High School Career

Pritchard established himself as a dominant force at West Linn High School, where he led the team to four consecutive state titles. His individual accolades include the 2014 and 2015 Todd Pratt Player of the Year awards, the Oregon Class 6A Player of the Year awards, and the 2015 Gatorade Oregon Player of the Year award. During his junior year (2014-15), he averaged 22 points and 5.8 assists per game, followed by an impressive senior year (2015-16) where he recorded 23.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.1 steals per game.

College Career at Oregon

Pritchard committed to the Oregon Ducks as a four-star recruit and continued his ascent in collegiate basketball.

Freshman Year (2016-2017)

In his freshman year (2016-17), Pritchard appeared in 39 games for the Ducks, averaging 7.4 points and 3.6 assists per game. Notably, he made a crucial three-point shot against UCLA, bringing the Ducks within one point, and assisted on Dillon Brooks' game-winning three-pointer over Lonzo Ball. After he moved into the starting line-up in the fifth game of the season, the Ducks went 31-4. He had 18 points and three steals in his first NCAA Tournament game versus Iona and contributed eight points, six rebounds and three assists in Oregon’s Pac-12 quarterfinal win over Cal.

Sophomore Year (2017-2018)

As a sophomore, Pritchard earned second-team all-conference honors in the Pac-12. He led Oregon in scoring (14.5 ppg) and assists (4.8 apg). He also ranked among the Pac-12’s top 15 in seven different categories. Pritchard tied for fourth in the Pac-12 in assists per game (4.8) and for sixth in 3-point field goals per game (2.4) while ranking 15th in the league in scoring (14.5 ppg). His 171 assists ranks tied for sixth in UO single-season history, while he is ninth on the career list with 312 assists. He tied Jamal Lawrence for 10th on the UO single-season list with 85 made three-pointers.

Junior Year (2018-2019)

Pritchard's junior year saw him average 12.9 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game, contributing significantly to Oregon's improbable Pac-12 Tournament Championship and Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament. He was named MVP of the Pac-12 Tournament and led the nation in total minutes played (1,349), starting all 38 games. His 68 steals rank third on the UO single-season list and 175 assists are fourth on the UO single-season list. He was second in the Pac-12 Conference with 1.8 steals per game, ranked third in the Pac-12 in free throw percentage at 83.8 percent, stood fourth in the Pac-12 with 4.6 assists per game and third in the Pac-12 in minutes played (35.5 per game).

Senior Year (2019-2020)

Pritchard's senior year was exceptional, marked by numerous accolades and stellar performance. He averaged 20.5 points and 5.6 assists per game, leading the Ducks in both categories. He was named a finalist for the Naismith College Player of the Year and earned several honors, including the Bob Cousy Award. He became the first player in Oregon history - and just the second in Pac-12 history - to be named the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year, joining Utah’s Delon Wright (2015). He was also the first Naismith Award finalist and the first Associated Press first team All-American in program history.

Pritchard led the Pac-12 in scoring (20.5 points per game) and assists (5.5 per game) to become just the fourth player in Pac-12 history to pace the league in scoring and assists. He joined All-Americans Gary Payton (Oregon State, 1989-90), Damon Stoudamire (Arizona, 1994-95) and Jason Terry (Arizona, 1998-99) on that list. He was one of three players nationally who averaged at least 20 points, four rebounds and five assists per game and one of four players in the nation who led his league in scoring and assists. On the single-season lists, he ranked sixth in assists (172), seventh in three-pointers (88) and eighth in scoring (635).

One of his favorite games from that season was against Arizona on February 22, where he scored a career-high 38 points, including six three-pointers, in Oregon’s win. He was named Pac-12 player of the week following his efforts in the Arizona win and named the Naismith Award Player of the Week after scoring 25 points Feb. 16 versus Utah, plus his double-double versus Colorado of 15 points and a career-high 11 rebounds three days earlier.

Another favorite game was when he hit the game-winning three-pointer with :03 remaining, finishing with 22 points and 6-of-12 shooting from deep, in an overtime win at Washington. He was named Pac-12 Player of the Week for the first time in his career, and Oscar Robertson Trophy National Player of the Week, after scoring 15 of the team’s final 17 points in an overtime win at Michigan.

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NBA Career with the Boston Celtics

Rookie Season (2020-2021)

Payton Pritchard was selected as the 26th overall pick by the Boston Celtics in the 2020 NBA Draft. On November 24, 2020, he signed a four-year contract with the Celtics. Pritchard impressed early, scoring 17 points in a preseason game against the Philadelphia 76ers. In the absence of Kemba Walker, Pritchard secured significant playing time, ranking fourth on the team in minutes played through the first five games, trailing only Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart.

On January 4, 2021, Pritchard scored a career-high 23 points in a 126-114 victory over the Toronto Raptors, adding eight assists and two rebounds. Two days later, he made the game-winning layup in a 107-105 victory over the Miami Heat. On January 12, Pritchard earned his first NBA start but had an underwhelming performance. In the regular-season finale, Pritchard achieved his first career triple-double with a career-high 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 120-114 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Subsequent Seasons

In his second season with the Celtics, Pritchard's minutes decreased due to coach Ime Udoka's preference for a shorter rotation and the acquisition of Derrick White. Despite reduced playing time, he maintained his sharpshooting ability, shooting over 41 percent from beyond the arc. The addition of Malcolm Brogdon further impacted Pritchard's playing time, placing him behind several guards on the depth chart.

Despite the challenges, Pritchard remained a valuable asset to the Celtics, providing a quick offensive boost with his three-point shooting. Over three seasons, he averaged 15.6 minutes per game, with a career average of 39 percent from behind the arc.

2023-2024 Season

Pritchard received a significant boost in playing time. He appeared in all 82 regular-season games, averaging 22.3 minutes per contest, and also played in all 18 of Boston's postseason games. The increased playing time corresponded with much better shooting percentages, as he shot 46.8 percent from the field and 82.1 percent from the foul line. He also displayed a knack for draining buzzer-beating long threes.

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Pritchard averaged career-highs across the board with 9.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.8 made three-pointers, a 46.8 field goal percentage, and 22.3 minutes per game. He was one of 17 NBA players to play in all 82 games this season and started a career-best five games. He ranked second in the NBA in net rating (+13.6), behind only teammate Sam Hauser (+14.2). Pritchard scored 15+ points in a career-high 18 games this season, including 11 20-point games, which nearly doubles his first three seasons combined (7). In four seasons with the Celtics, his 39.4 career three-point shooting percentage ranks seventh in Celtics history (min. 250 M3FG). He was one of only two NBA players to tally at least 600 points, 240 rebounds, and 200 assists off the bench this season and ranked sixth in the NBA in official assist/turnover ratio (4.6).

In the regular season finale on April 14, he scored a career-high 38 points (15-21 FG, 4-6 3FG) and finished with 12 assists and nine rebounds, becoming the fourth Celtic in history to register back-to-back 30-point, 10-assist, double-doubles: John Havlicek (3 games, 1970), Larry Bird (2 games, 1986), and Bob Cousy (2 games, 3X).

During the playoffs, he played in all nineteen games and averaged 6.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 18.7 minutes per game, contributing to the Celtics' NBA Championship title. In Game 5 of the NBA Finals, he made a 49-foot buzzer-beater in the second quarter, marking the longest field goal in an NBA Finals game since the 1997-98 season.

2024-2025 Season

On March 5, Pritchard had a career-high 43 points in addition to 10 rebounds and five assists in a 128-118 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers as he and Derrick White became the first Celtics teammates to make nine or more three-pointers in the same game (Pritchard had 10) and the first to score 40 or more points in the same game (White had 41). They are also the first NBA teammates to score 19 three-pointers in a single game, and the first to have at least 40 points and seven three-pointers each. Ten days later in a 115-113 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, Pritchard recorded 22 points, six rebounds, and three assists while making his 219th three-pointer of the season, setting an NBA record for season three-pointers made off the bench. On April 4 against the Phoenix Suns, Pritchard had 10 points, a rebound, and three assists while scoring the three-pointer that gave the Celtics the record for most three-pointers by a team in a season with 1,364. Pritchard was honored with the Sixth Man award.

International Career

Pritchard represented the United States at the 2015 FIBA 3x3 Under-18 World Championship. He was also named to the 12-man roster for the 2017 USA Men’s U19 World Cup in Cairo, Egypt, where he helped Team USA win the FIBA U19 World Cup bronze medal and was named to the World Cup All-Star team.

Personal Life

Pritchard married YouTuber Emma MacDonald in August 2024.

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