It didn’t look like a publicity stop at first. Just a regular outdoor run, kids in hoodies, a worn court, the usual rhythm of a local game that belongs to whoever showed up that day. Then Payton Pritchard walked in, asked if he could hop in, and suddenly a normal afternoon had an NBA pacing to it.
The moment surfaced this week: Pritchard surprising a group of young hoopers at the Boston College outdoor court, casually stepping into their game and turning the run into a miniature event. Pritchard didn’t arrive with a camera crew energy or a “make sure you tag me” vibe. He arrived like a hooper who can’t help himself.
That’s what made it travel. Pritchard has always carried a reputation as one of the league’s purest “ball-is-life” guys, and this wasn’t the first time he’s been caught living that truth in the wild. Back in 2024, a separate viral moment in Boston’s Seaport District showed him wandering into a park run during a walk and playing pickup with kids who recognized him, later saying it made him “feel like a kid again.” The new clip plays like a sequel; same spirit, different court, same underlying message: the NBA doesn’t turn off the itch to play.
Payton Pritchard plays 1v4 vs kids at the park in a new NBC Sports Boston video sponsored by Cadillac
It’s the most wholesome thing you’ll see today pic.twitter.com/erltuCRH5h
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) January 12, 2026
