NBA DRAFT

November 19, 2020

Payton Pritchard

Q. If you'd start out with an opening statement about your game and what you'll bring to the Boston team.

PAYTON PRITCHARD: I just want to bring a sense of toughness, a guy that can really spread the floor, make plays, but just really toughness, competitiveness and try to help a team try to go win a ring and a championship.

Q. If you were asked by a Celtics fan what are you bringing to the Celtics, how do you describe your game and what they're getting in your skill set?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: Well, I can really shoot it, dribble, pass, but I think the biggest thing that I bring to the Celtics is just a competitive nature, a winning mentality type of guy that fights for everything, works for everything.

Q. Just wanted to ask what kind of conversations you had with the Celtics leading up to the draft, and did you have an inkling they might be looking at you at No. 26?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: I knew they were interested. I did one interview with them. I actually did not think that they would end up being the team I was going to go to, but very thankful. Obviously, it's an unbelievable organization, so I'm ready to get to work.

Q. Brad Stevens just said he's excited about the fact that you're going to be ready to compete right away. You just talked about getting a championship. What kind of role do you see for yourself as a rookie?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: I'm not sure yet. I guess when I get down there, get ready to compete and try to win opportunities for playing time and all that.

So that's all I'm worried about, is getting down there and competing for time and helping a team win. We'll figure that out eventually.

Q. We talked yesterday, you said that you wanted to go somewhere where they would appreciate that competitiveness. Knowing that it's Danny Ainge, have you guys been friends? Did you know each other with that Eugene tie, and what does it mean to go to somebody who has those ties to a place where you developed?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: I definitely know who Danny is. We haven't formally met in person or anything like that, but obviously he's a very competitive person, and the Celtics organization is like the best. That's what they thrive on.

So I'm just excited to be part of this organization, be part of a winning culture. Wherever I've been in high school, college, it's always been about winning and competing, and so I get to carry that on. Hopefully I get to expand my game and win a lot of games.

Q. Just talk about tonight hearing your name selected; what was that like being with your friends and family?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: It was a very emotional moment. For me, it took a lot of hard work. Definitely went through a lot of ups and downs in high school, college. Just to finally get to this moment is unreal, and it was definitely filled with a lot of emotions with my mom and dad and stuff like that. So just excited.

Q. What does it mean to you to represent the state of Oregon, all you've done here from the time you were a little boy to now, to have that moment and to know that you're representing an entire state? What does that mean to you?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: It means a lot, being an Oregon boy. There's obviously not a whole lot of people that made the NBA from here and stuff like that, but for me just to represent my state well and the University of Oregon means a whole lot. And there's a lot more coming behind me. It's a big moment.

Q. Sticking on the Oregon theme, you obviously improved your game dramatically in your four years at Oregon. What do you think Dana Altman and the staff at Oregon did to help you prepare to take your game to the NBA level?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: Just worked with me on a daily basis. We always had a professional approach. As far as Altman goes, he wanted the best for me, always pushed me, always was hard on me, never took it easy. Always appreciative of that. We won a lot of games, and we were successful. They've built a professional approach to things.