Payton Pritchard Sneaking Away To Shoot Hoops With A Kid In A Boston Park Confirms He Is Both A Legend And A True Man Of The People

Nathaniel S. Butler. Getty Images.

Nobody and I mean nobody embraces the idea that "ball is life" more than NBA champion and Boston legend Payton Pritchard. You hear stories about how he's always in the gym or in the weight room no matter what's going on. He very clearly eats, breathes, and sleeps the game of basketball. You can't always say that when it comes to every NBA player, but it very much is the case when it comes to Pritchard.

Which is why this video of him sneaking away to play 1 on 1 with a kid in a Boston park while he and his wife were walking their dog is pretty much the most Payton Pritchard moment in the history of Payton Pritchard moments

As I stated, Payton Pritchard is a legend. That kid will tell the story about this moment for the rest of his life. Fortunately there's video of it so his buddies will have no choice but to believe him, and I love how seriously Pritchard is taking it. That man is a competitor at his core and it clearly doesn't matter if it's the NBA Finals or a nice little Sunday morning stroll. He's locked in at all times. If you don't think I made a mental note of that post up/step through you're out of your mind. Don't be surprised if we see Prichard unleash that tonight against Dame or something, and the make on what looks to be double rims was impressive as well. That's that shooter's touch that you read about.

The larger point is this moment is a great example of why the Celts are such a huge deal and their championship means so much to the city. They are ingrained in the fabric of the city and the fanbase. Let's be honest, they can do no wrong right now and it's pretty incredible. On the floor, they are back to kicking the shit out of everyone in their path, off the court they are having moments like this. I'd ask who has it better than us, but we all know the answer is nobody.

You also can't ignore the Basketball Gods part of this video. As we know, they are always watching. Are you going to tell me Pritchard isn't earning some Basketball God karma with a move like this? It wasn't for show, it wasn't for the cameras, it was just a guy who loves to hoop sharing that love with a young fan. Just remember this the next time we see a Pritchard full court heave go in. It all matters/adds up.

In terms of how Pritchard is doing against real NBA competition, it's hard to complain. Over 42% from three on around 8 3PA a game, he's been as lights out as ever

and boy are we (and he) lucky that Brad Stevens never took the bait when Pritchard sneaky demanded a trade after all those DNP-CDs two years ago. He's everything you could want as both a Celtic and a human, and his play combined with moves like this pretty much confirms it.