Boston Celtics' Payton Pritchard plays against young fans in viral video: “Felt like a kid again.”

BOSTON – Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard Was Knockout Shots on Monday at TD Garden. But a day earlier, in a viral moment, he did the same thing in a much smaller venue.

Payton Pritchard's viral video

Pritchard and his wife, Emma Pritchard, took a coffee walk on Sunday and headed to a dog park in Boston's Seaport District.

The dog park was near a basketball court where a small group of children were playing. Pritchard said he was wearing a winter hat and tracksuit so he didn't think anyone would notice him. But the young fans did.

“These kids saw me from afar and screamed,” Pritchard said.

Finally, the point guard walked over and accepted her challenge for some pickup basketball.

“I didn’t go there straight away. And then I went there and it was pretty low key. We were really just playing around. I played one-on-one with them,” Pritchard said after Monday’s game. “They were actually pretty good. Little, rowdy kids who aspired. I definitely appreciated it.

Emma Pritchard posted a video on Instagram of Pritchard supporting one of the boys in the paint and adjusting a sweater, saying: “We took our dog to the park and I turn around and find him here.”

“But I have it in for him,” Pritchard joked.

Emma Pritchard's post was shared on other social media platforms and received millions of views.

Who is Payton Pritchard?

Pritchard was a key reason the Celtics earned a 119-108 victory over the Bucks at TD Garden. He scored 28 points off the bench and shot eight three-pointers.

Pritchard was drafted 26th overall in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft out of Oregon.

The guard has averaged 7.7 points per game in his career. Pritchard had the best start of his tenure in Boston, averaging 16.3 points per game through the first four games of the season, all of which the Celtics won.

Pritchard has become known for his late-quarter shots, including the signature shot from outside halfcourt that he sank in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks.

Pritchard hit another game-winning shot in the final second of the third quarter against the Bucks on Monday, helping Boston take control of the game.

In 2023 Pritchard signed a four-year contract that will pay him $7.5 million per season.