On January 16, Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard promoted a company called “Jackpocket,” an app that provides electronic lottery tickets. Pritchard promoted the company while providing the following caption.]
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“A free shot at Mega Millions… use code ‘PAYTON’ at checkout on the @Jackpocket lottery app for your first lotto ticket free. Link in bio. Goodluck!” Pritchard wrote.
Multiple Celtics then took the opportunity to troll Pritchard in the comment section. Kristaps Porzingis called Pritchard’s promotion a “big scam” with a laugh emoji. Oshae Brissett called Pritchard a “real scammer.” These jokes were in reference to famous rapper Drake saying that Pritchard was “out there looking like a crypto scammer” on the Toronto Raptors broadcast when they played the Celtics on November 27.
Though Pritchard did not promote cryptocurrency, he promoted an app that is built for its users hoping to make money. Though it’s not the same thing, cryptocurrency and the lottery are somewhat in the same ballpark, making the jokes all the funnier.
The Celtics roasting Pritchard shows the level of camaraderie they have on the roster.
Payton Pritchard’s Response to Drake
Reporters asked Payton Pritchard about Drake calling him a “crypto scammer.” Pritchard gave an honest response, though he sounded confused.
“What does a crypto scammer look like?” Pritchard asked reporters, per The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach. “I don’t even know. I would say it looks like an average-looking white person, so I would say I’m like a normal-looking white dude, normal height, like I look like everybody else. So, considering in the NBA world, I think that’s maybe what he meant, so I don’t know.”
In the end, Pritchard was a good sport about it, as he understood that Drake was simply trying to be funny.
“He’s just trying to make a joke,” Pritchard said. “It’s just funny. I’m not going to take it personal. It’s nothing that serious.”
That same day, Pritchard posted a gallery on his Instagram with the caption, “Crypto scammer.”
Evidently, Pritchard has not been able to shed the label since then and may not be able to for a while.
Payton Pritchard Gets Honest About ‘Garbage Time’
The Celtics blew out the Houston Rockets on January 13, 145-113. Because the game was pretty much over before the fourth quarter started, Payton Pritchard played until the final buzzer sounded. In that time, he put up a few highlights, including throwing an off-the-backboard alley-oop to Oshae Brissett.
Payton Pritchard throwing alley-oops off the glass to Oshae Brissett. pic.twitter.com/aYTa14q5Ja
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) January 14, 2024
“I don’t ever look it at like garbage time. It’s an opportunity for me to hoop. You know, I’m not in there for the first or third quarter, so that is my time. I don’t look at it like that. I mean, everybody is an NBA guy at the end of the day. This is top-level basketball here,” Pritchard told reporters, per Noa Dalzell’s X account.
Over the last two seasons, the Celtics shelved Pritchard in favor of Dennis Schröder and Malcolm Brogdon. During that time, Pritchard would only play when the Celtics were undermanned or when the game was all but decided. Because of that, Pritchard clearly understands that any time to play is a good time.
