Payton Pritchard has developed into one of the NBA’s most dangerous isolation scorers, and his unusual offseason training routine offers a fascinating explanation for his success. The Boston Celtics guard spends his summers challenging college basketball players to stop him from scoring, with a rather delicious reward awaiting those who succeed.
According to an ESPN feature by Hallie Grossman, Pritchard recruits Division II and Division III players, international basketball players and former teammates to participate in intense one-on-one workouts at high school gyms around Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Three times a week throughout the summer, Pritchard puts himself through approximately two hours of relentless isolation basketball, facing a rotating group of defenders across 150 possessions.
His opponents are allowed to rest between possessions. Pritchard isn’t. The rules are simple: If the defenders collectively hold him below 60 percent shooting during the session, Pritchard rewards them with a meal at Chipotle, covering the entire bill.
The 28-year-old even pays for transportation, including gas and flights, to bring players from different parts of the country and overseas to his workouts.
Rather than surrounding himself exclusively with NBA-level talent, Pritchard deliberately seeks out hungry, competitive players willing to challenge him physically on every possession.
He also prefers uncomfortable training environments. Many of his chosen gyms lack air conditioning, creating hot and humid conditions that make the already demanding sessions even more exhausting.
The approach reflects the mentality that has helped transform the former 26th overall draft pick into one of Boston’s most valuable offensive weapons.
After winning the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award in 2025, Pritchard averaged a career-high 17.0 points and 5.2 assists last season.
More remarkably, his 58.6 percent effective field-goal percentage on isolation possessions ranked first in the NBA, ahead of superstars Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
For a 6-foot-1 guard who rarely enjoys a physical advantage over defenders, the ability to create separation, absorb contact and consistently find quality shots has become an essential part of his game.
And his unconventional workouts provide thousands of opportunities to perfect those skills under genuine defensive pressure.
While most NBA players spend their summers refining their games with personal trainers, Pritchard has created his own competitive laboratory, where every possession represents another challenge to solve. The reward for his opponents might be a free burrito. For Pritchard, it’s becoming an even better basketball player.
