Payton Pritchard has been named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, as announced by the league on Tuesday night. The Boston Celtics guard edged out Malik Beasley and Ty Jerome for the prestigious honor.
Pritchard delivered a standout season, recording career-best stats in nearly every category except three-point percentage. Over 80 games for Boston, the 27-year-old averaged 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, shooting 47.2% from the field and 40.7% from three-point range. He’s the second Celtics player in the last three years to earn the NBA’s John Havlicek Trophy, following Malcolm Brogdon’s win in 2023.
Interestingly, Pritchard had once requested a trade due to limited playing time behind Brogdon. But when Brogdon was traded instead, Pritchard seized the opportunity and made the most of his expanded role.
In just his second season with significant minutes, Pritchard quickly emerged as a front-runner for the Sixth Man award. His 28-point game against the Milwaukee Bucks on October 28 turned heads and marked the beginning of a red-hot campaign. That performance was so impactful it nearly left coach Doc Rivers speechless.
nah doc rivers reaction to pritchards 3 got me in tears 😭pic.twitter.com/jMkHoYwmDL
— 🏆 – Jays Enthusiast (@gReenbean_26) October 29, 2024
Pritchard’s momentum carried through the season and was on full display again during Sunday’s Game 1 versus the Orlando Magic. Coming off the bench with 1:50 remaining in the first quarter, he scored 11 of the Celtics’ next 13 points, including a crafty move past Cole Anthony. He finished with 19 points on an efficient 6-for-8 shooting in just 24 minutes a textbook sixth man performance and a perfect snapshot of his season.
Payton Pritchard would be a 20ppg guy on some teams pic.twitter.com/XKcloeHaV4
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) April 20, 2025
Pritchard becomes the fourth Celtic to ever win the award, joining Brogdon, Bill Walton, and two-time winner Kevin McHale. The legendary Red Auerbach is often credited with conceptualizing the sixth man role for Frank Ramsey, who backed up Celtics greats Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman.
Be the first to comment