Celtics Guard Quick To Snatch Ownership Of ‘Best Overall Athlete’ Title

The Boston Celtics had the undisputed best roster in the NBA last year, earning the right to flex their record-setting 18th Larry O'Brien Trophy all summer. Returning for the team's first shot at a repeat finish, veteran unit guard Payton Pritchard made a bold statement on behalf of the entire locker room.

"I'm probably the best overall athlete, all sports, on the team," Pritchard said, per NBC Sports Boston. "... (Jaylen Brown) might think he might be. (Derrick) White and them, Sam (Hauser), we have some good ones but I think through all sports I think I get it, for sure. It's not confidence, it's the truth."

The question itself was raised after the Celtics spent a chunk of their training camp time bonding over some non-basketball activities such as walking football, wiffle ball, handball and speed walk baton pass. Pritchard, a confident participant, definitely has a run for his money with rookie Baylor Scheierman having played quarterback at Aurora High School in Aurora, Nebraska and White having a few years of little league baseball experience under his belt. Nevertheless, Pritchard does have the bragging rights of draining a half-court buzzer-beater during Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks in June -- a shot that'll forever live in the highlight reel of all-time daggers in Celtics history. So... Pritchard's confidence does, too, come with a strong case of its own.

Pritchard had a bounce-back year of his own last season, which began when the Celtics who subjected the 26-year-old to log a career-low 13.4 minutes in 2022-23, signed the undersized Oregon product to a four-year, $30 million extension. In the snap of a finger, Pritchard got to work proving himself worthy of the payday and did so in a multitude of ways. He averaged a career-high 9.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists, playing in all 82 of Boston's regular season games while also leading the team with a 4.61 assist-to-turnover ratio -- which also ranked 20th in the NBA.

Growing from an end-of-the-bench scrapper to a legitimate role player, Pritchard eagerly awaits the opportunity to pitch in once again and contribute behind the team's starting guard tandem of White and Jrue Holiday.

"I feel like the thing that makes us good is we're all a little bit different in ways," Pritchard said during team media day, per NBC Sports Boston. "Even defensively, offensively. Derrick's a unbelievable shot-blocker. He can contest crazy shots and he gets in that stuff. Jrue, he's bigger, stronger. He can bump in the post but obviously, one of the best on-ball defenders I've ever seen. For me, I feel like I'm more of like a pest-type -- quick. So it's all a little bit different and offensively we're different too. I'm just glad I get to learn behind two unbelievable dudes."