Payton Pritchard Reveals Why He Embraces Celtics Haters
Boston sports teams have some of the most passionate, diehard fans in the country. They’re also some of the most hated teams outside of New England, especially after all their success this century.
That includes the Boston Celtics, who have won the most championships in NBA history at 18 and counting. They’re intensely disliked in New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and elsewhere, where they have historic rivalries that go back decades.
Payton Pritchard doesn’t mind, though. He loves playing with a chip on his shoulder and feeds off the energy from the crowd, good and bad.
“A lot of fans support us, and then there’s people that don’t like the Celtics. That’s what you want. That’s what I want. I’d rather be a part of something like that,” Pritchard told CLNS reporter Noa Dalzell in a recent interview. “You don’t want to be loved everywhere. You want to have some hate toward you. It should be like that.”
Pritchard compared it to college basketball, where Duke and other successful programs have a lot of haters. He believes the Celtics and the Lakers are the two most hated teams in the NBA, which makes sense given that they also have the most titles.
When asked what his perception of the Celtics was growing up, he spoke of the franchise’s historic legacy and winning culture.
“That they won a lot of championships. That was my perception. That they’re a winning organization,” Pritchard told Dalzell. “Some people like that. I like winners. Growing up, I liked Tom Brady. People might hate me for this, but I liked Derek Jeter. I liked the Celtics. I like winners.”
Prichard is a winner himself, having won a championship with Boston in 2024. Now he’s on the hunt for the next one, especially if it breeds more Celtics haters and makes them even more upset.