Payton Pritchard got stopped over the weekend by a bunch of guys wearing yellow.
When have we seen that before?
NBA security stopped Pritchard from entering the restricted area Saturday to sit with Celtics coaches during their Summer League game against the Heat. It was an embarrassing moment, but the question is: for whom?
Veteran NBA reporter Steve Bulpett tweeted that a member of the Celtics' communications team had to vouch for Pritchard, who's played in 137 NBA games over the last two seasons — not including the playoffs.
Last summer, Pritchard averaged 16.8 points per game in Las Vegas and was named to the All-Summer League Team.
But apparently, his unassuming frame dwarfed his impressive on-court performance. (It's worth noting Pritchard is 6-foot-1 and weighs 195 pounds. He's not Dustin Pedroia, who was infamously stopped from entering Coors Field before a World Series Game.)
The Celtics selected Pritchard with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. He's been a solid end-of-the-bench contributor since then, averaging 6.9 points per game in 16.6 minutes. Pritchard's best moments came during the Eastern Conference Finals, when he put up 18 and 14 points against the Heat in Games 1 and 4. (He also hit an epic game-clinching three against the Bucks.)
Unfortunately, his star dimmed against the Warriors in the NBA Finals. Pritchard was held to just four points over the final four games.
It was almost as sad as being mistaken for a fan and prohibited from sitting with your team.
