Payton Pritchard Shines Bright: Celtics Guard Snags First NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award

Payton Pritchard has officially become the toast of Boston’s bench mob. The dynamic guard for the Boston Celtics just bagged his first NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, after a season where he seemed to make more noise off the bench than most starters manage in a year.

Pritchard wasn’t just any backup — he was the only player in the league to drop over 1,000 points without starting a single game. He also set a new NBA record for 3-pointers made by a reserve, proving that sometimes the real fireworks come when you least expect them. The voters took note, as Pritchard narrowly edged out Detroit’s Malik Beasley and Cleveland’s Ty Jerome for the honor.

Boston seems to have a knack for this award — Pritchard is now the fifth Celtic to win it, joining legends like Kevin McHale, Bill Walton, and last year’s winner Malcolm Brogdon. And there’s something poetic about the trophy being named after John Havlicek, another Celtics icon who knew a thing or two about changing games from the bench.

Celtics President Brad Stevens praised Pritchard, saying, "Payton is a baller — and his teammates know what they are getting every single day in terms of effort, care, and commitment." Honestly, you know you’re doing something right when you’re being compared to John Havlicek in Boston.

This is the first NBA award announced for the season, with more to come in the following weeks, including honors for clutch and defensive player of the year. The winners are chosen by a global panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who keep a close eye on the league.

Pritchard’s stats this season are nothing short of impressive: 1,079 points, 246 threes (plus a few more in his rare starts), and a plus-minus of +428, all while coming off the bench. Only T.J. McConnell and Scoot Henderson topped his assist numbers among reserves. Pritchard’s willingness to launch deep threes — even when the odds are against him — has made him a folk hero in Boston, and that wild March 5 game where he dropped 43 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and hit 10 threes off the bench? That’s the stuff of Celtic legend, even if the stat sheet doesn’t officially call it a triple-double.

The Celtics had a stellar 61-21 record this season, but when Pritchard went off, they were nearly unbeatable. The team went 17-6 when he scored at least 20 off the bench, and 36-12 when he hit double digits. In Boston, it’s clear: the sixth man is just as vital as the starting five.