The sun sets on the Summer of Payton
The sun sets on the Summer of Payton
The Celtics guard stopped by the Autzen press box on Saturday to tell us what shotgunning beers on Duck boats in Boston was like.
EUGENE — There have been summers when Payton Pritchard wasn’t able to enjoy things as much as his friends.
The former Oregon men’s basketball star is as goal-oriented as they come, which often meant those majestic Northwest days were spent telling his buddies, 'next time,' as he turned down hangout opportunities to hone his craft.
And who’s to say he’s wrong? Pritchard won four state titles at West Linn. He reached the Final Four as a four-year starter at Oregon. He spent his Saturday being honored at Autzen Stadium mid-game for winning his first NBA championship this summer with the Boston Celtics.
“I feel like when I put my mind to something I’m going to achieve it, no matter what it takes,” Pritchard said, “and I’ll sacrifice everything I got in my life to achieve it.”
Back in town, Pritchard’s buddies hit the bar Friday night while Pritchard opted for the gym. This is no pity party, though: Pritchard got his rallying in this summer.
For one, Pritchard married his wife, Emma, in Cape Cod — you may have read about that one in Elle Magazine.
There was also the championship parade.
After the Celtics downed the Dallas Mavericks in five games, Pritchard and his teammates rode through downtown Boston in Duck boats.
His favorite part?
“Probably about the thousand beers I got thrown at my head,” Pritchard said. “…You're on top of this bus and every direction there’s millions of fans and they're just throwing drinks at you. So you're dodging them, catching them and then shotguning them. It's a crazy experience.”
It’s one, Pritchard said, he’d like to do again.
The Oregonian signed a 4-year, $30 million contract extension with Boston last November and is coming off a season that saw the 26-year-old average career highs in minutes (22.3), points (9.6), field goal percentage (46.6), rebounds (3.2) and assists (3.4). He also padded his reputation as one of the NBA’s best “did you see that?!” shooters with a pair of half-court buzzer beaters during the NBA finals.
He’ll soon head back to Boston, gearing up for a season where the Celtics are one of the favorites to repeat. The title defense begins with a preseason opener in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 4, which means the time for outings in Eugene like Saturday — or shotgunning beers in downtown Boston — is coming to an end.
Speaking from experience, Pritchard said it’s worth it.
“Sacrifices like that every day make a difference,” he said. “I pride myself on that. And I'll continue to do that.”
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor