Payton Pritchard Bio
Payton Michael Pritchard (born January 28, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays both point guard and shooting guard and has become a key contributor off the bench for one of the league’s most successful franchises. After starring at the University of Oregon, where he was a consensus All-American, Pritchard was selected 26th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Celtics. He has since reached the NBA Finals twice with Boston, winning his first championship in 2024 and earning NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors in 2025.
Early Life and Background
Payton Pritchard was born on January 28, 1998, in Tualatin, Oregon, and grew up in nearby West Linn, a suburb of Portland. He attended West Linn High School, where he developed into one of the top high school players in the state. Pritchard won four consecutive state titles with West Linn and earned multiple Oregon Player of the Year honors, including Gatorade Oregon Player of the Year in 2015.
As a junior, Pritchard averaged 22 points and 5.8 assists per game, and as a senior he produced 23.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.1 steals per game. A four-star recruit according to ESPN, he was selected for the Northwest Shootout, an Oregon-versus-Washington all-star game, where he scored 45 points. Pritchard committed to the University of Oregon Ducks in August 2015 after previously being committed to Oklahoma, where his father Terry had played football.
Path to Basketball
Pritchard’s basketball foundation was built at West Linn, where his consistent winning and individual production made him a nationally recognized recruit. His father’s athletic background gave him an early understanding of competitive sports, and his experience representing the United States in international competition further sharpened his game. Before enrolling at Oregon, Pritchard suited up for the USA National Select Team at the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit and had also represented the United States at the 2015 FIBA 3×3 Under-18 World Championship.
His path to the NBA continued through the Oregon Ducks program, where he steadily developed into one of the best guards in college basketball. By the time he finished his senior season, Pritchard had become Oregon’s all-time assists leader and a finalist for the Naismith College Player of the Year, paving the way for his selection in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Payton Pritchard Career
College Career (2016–2020)
In his freshman year at Oregon (2016–17), Pritchard made 39 appearances for the Ducks and averaged 7.4 points and 3.6 assists per game. He started in the Final Four that season, the only freshman in college basketball to do so, helping Oregon reach its first Final Four since the first NCAA tournament. As a sophomore in 2017–18, Pritchard became the lone returning starter and raised his averages to 14.5 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game.
As a junior in 2018–19, Pritchard led Oregon to an improbable Pac-12 Tournament Championship, was named tournament MVP, and guided the Ducks to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. He then declared for the 2019 NBA Draft before ultimately returning for his senior year. As a senior, Pritchard averaged 20.5 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game, was named Pac-12 Player of the Year, earned consensus first-team All-American honors, and received the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard. He also won the Lute Olson Award, which recognizes the nation’s top player, and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year honor from the 2021 calendar year of his early NBA career.
Boston Celtics (2020–Present)
Pritchard was selected with the 26th pick in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics and signed a four-year, $10.5 million rookie contract in November 2020. He impressed in his preseason debut with 17 points against the Philadelphia 76ers and quickly became a rotation piece, at one point ranking fourth in playing time among Celtics players behind Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart. On January 4, 2021, he scored a career-high 23 points in a victory over the Toronto Raptors, and two days later he hit the game-winning layup in a narrow win over the Miami Heat. Pritchard closed his rookie campaign by scoring in double figures in six of seven games, including a then-career-best 28 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Pritchard helped the Celtics reach the 2022 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games. He recorded his first career triple-double late in the 2022–23 regular season with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists against the Atlanta Hawks. On October 8, 2023, the Celtics and Pritchard agreed to a fully guaranteed four-year, $30 million contract extension, and he became the only player on the roster to appear in all 82 regular-season games that year. In 2024, Pritchard scored 32 points and 11 assists against the Charlotte Hornets and 38 points with 12 assists against the Washington Wizards, joining John Havlicek, Larry Bird, and Bob Cousy as the only Celtics players to record back-to-back 30-point, 10-assist games.
During the 2024 NBA Finals, Pritchard hit a 34-foot three-pointer at the buzzer to end the third quarter of Game 2 against the Dallas Mavericks, and in Game 5 he made a half-court shot at the buzzer to end the first half of Boston’s 106–88 championship-clinching victory. The half-court basket was recorded as the longest made field goal in an NBA Finals game since 1997. In March 2025, Pritchard scored a career-high 43 points against the Portland Trail Blazers, and he later set an NBA record for three-pointers off the bench in a single season. He was announced as the 2024–25 NBA Sixth Man of the Year on April 22, receiving 82 of 100 first-place votes and the only unanimous listing on every ballot.
Driving Style and Strengths
On the court, Pritchard is best known for his deep shooting range, particularly from well beyond the three-point line, and his playmaking instincts in pick-and-roll situations. His shiftiness off the dribble and willingness to launch quick-trigger threes have made him a spark plug for Boston’s second unit, while his court vision and willingness to push pace complement a high-level defense.
Notable Events and Milestones
Beyond his 2024 NBA championship, Pritchard’s signature moments include his career-high 43-point game against Portland, his record-setting three-pointer off the bench, his clutch half-court heave in the 2024 Finals, and his unanimous selection as NBA Sixth Man of the Year. He also represented the United States at the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup, where he was named to the All-Star Five after helping Team USA win a bronze medal.
Payton Pritchard Career Wins
Payton Pritchard’s competitive résumé includes a 2024 NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics, the 2024–25 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, and multiple individual college accolades earned during a four-year run at Oregon. He capped his college career with consensus first-team All-American honors and the Bob Cousy Award, the Lute Olson Award, and Pac-12 Player of the Year recognition in 2020.
NBA Highlights
Pritchard owns one NBA Championship ring (2024) and has appeared in two NBA Finals with the Celtics (2022 and 2024). He was a finalist for the Jordan Rising Stars MVP in 2023 and was a finalist for the NBA Most Improved Player award in 2025, when he also became the runaway winner of the Sixth Man of the Year award.
Other Wins and Performances
In college, Pritchard captured Pac-12 Player of the Year in 2020, Pac-12 tournament MOP in 2019, and a Pac-12 regular-season title as a senior. He was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2018 and a Pac-12 All-Defensive honorable mention, then in 2021 he earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Internationally, Pritchard won a bronze medal with Team USA at the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup in Egypt and was named to the tournament’s All-Star Five.
Payton Pritchard Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Pritchard’s father, Terry Pritchard, played football at the University of Oklahoma, giving his son a strong athletic foundation and a connection to the program before Pritchard ultimately committed to Oregon. Pritchard’s path through West Linn High School and on to the Ducks was shaped by that family sports background.
Personal Life
Payton Pritchard married YouTuber Emma MacDonald in August 2024 in a ceremony that was officiated by his former Celtics teammate Blake Griffin. The couple tied the knot during the same summer Pritchard won his first NBA championship with Boston.
2025 Season Performance
Payton Pritchard’s 2024–25 campaign with the Boston Celtics was his most decorated individual season. He appeared in all 82 regular-season games and finished with a career-high 10 three-pointers against Portland, a career-high 43-point performance against his hometown team, and a record-setting mark for three-pointers off the bench in a single season. He also helped the Celtics set the NBA record for most three-pointers by a team in a single season, and on April 20 he scored 19 points in 25 minutes off the bench in a Game 1 first-round playoff win over the Orlando Magic.
Two days later, Pritchard was announced as the 2024–25 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, earning 82 of 100 first-place votes and a place on every ballot. He also received votes for NBA Most Improved Player, underscoring how central he had become to Boston’s success. The award validated his growth from late first-round pick to one of the league’s premier reserve guards.
Looking ahead, Pritchard remained a fixture of the Celtics’ rotation heading into the 2025–26 season. With his contract extension running through 2026 and his role on the team well established, he was expected to continue providing elite shooting and playmaking off the bench for a Boston team still chasing another deep playoff run.
