December 31, 2024 • 15 mins
Phil Pressey has been around the Celtics for almost two decades. Whether it was beating Tony Allen in shooting bets as a kid, getting picked up as an undrafted free agent as a player, or now being a coach for the title-winning Celtics, he embodies what it means to be a Celtic. Phil tells us what it was like growing up around NBA players as his dad was racking up a 20-year coaching career, and how that experience shaped him as a coach. He also talks about his relationship with Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzulla, including how he wound up back in Boston on their coaching staff, and about Payton Pritchard’s insane work ethic. He even tells kids from his hometown to pay attention to what Pritchard brings to the table.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Season five View from the rafters. Behind the
scenes with the Boston Celtics.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Your attitude is something that you can control us.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
I never thought of it that way.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Which one sticks out to you?
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Defense is hard?
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Bro?
Speaker 4 (00:10):
Do you have that mentality when you're on the floor.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Yeah, we're sitting here having these conversations.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
What do we crap? Or we just want a championship?
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Be a part of that winning atmosphere. All right, Phil
Pressey Man, you have had an interesting career here, particularly
with the Boston Celtics. There where you started at all right,
as an under at the free agent. You're playing for
Brad Stevens right when you walk in the door. Now
he's running the show upstairs as president of basketball operations,
(00:36):
where now you are coaching for him and for Joe Missoula.
How crazy is this that this is where it all
started for you and then you're back here on the
coaching staff, and not only on the coaching staff, but
winning a championship in year one.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Oh yeah, well, you know, I'm just so grateful to
be in this position, being able to come here as
a you know, twenty one to twenty two year old rookie.
I was able to play for a great coach, Brad Stevens,
which actually got me into coaching.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
So he's the one who made you start thinking.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
He's one of the coaches that I've played for throughout
my career. I played for a great coaches, you know,
coming up and being able to start my professional career
with Brad allowed me to you know, see myself as
a coach, maintain that relationship throughout my whole professional career.
And then you know, he connected me with Joe and
being able to you know, see the eye to eye
(01:24):
with Joe allowed me to, you know, get a position
as a coach.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
How did Brad impact you in those early years, because
that's interesting that you started thinking about coaching when you
because I know what I was thinking about it twenty
one and it wasn't being here right now.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
No, you know, my my father was a coach. So
and then we'll touch on that. Me being a point guard,
I always felt like, you know, I was a coach
on the floor. But you know, Brad's attention to detail,
his ability to uh look forward, playing ahead, like all
that stuff I took note of to one day when
(02:01):
I did get into coach and I am coaching, I
can you know add that to my own philosophy?
Speaker 4 (02:06):
What was it? Was there a moment when you realize
that you did want to coach, Like you said, you're
a coach on the floor, but to be a coach,
especially in this league, it's a lot of work, and
it's a lot of work that gets overlooked and a
lot of people don't know.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
By the way, at an age where you could probably
still be playing overseas if you wanted to. I mean, yeah,
you're thirty three right now, right correct, I mean there's
still miles on those legs.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Nah, definitely, definitely. And you know, going to Europe, I
played for some you know, fantastic coaches over there, and
how they see the game in Europe is you know,
a little different than how we do things here in
the States, you know, with the tactics and the strategy.
So I don't know, just playing for great coaches kind
of put me in this space. I don't know when
(02:48):
I when I felt it, probably around like the age
of twenty eight twenty nine. I started seeing myself, you know,
planning for the future five years ahead. I was like, Okay,
if I'm going to coach, let me start, you know,
making the context and connections I need, and you know
that led me to where I am now.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
But it's not something you always wanted to do saw yourself.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
But you know, like your friends, your your your teachers,
your your relatives, your your parents. They asked you what
would you do if you didn't play basketball? Like, what's
your your plan being?
Speaker 1 (03:17):
For me?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
I always said coaching. So being able to say that
and then actually be here makes me whatever I say
now is going to be where I'm going to be interesting.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Oh yeah, that's all. It is interesting abundance. As I've
heard President Rich got themselves a few times years.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
It's true all I'm all for.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
All right. So you touched on, you kept in touch
with Brad, like even while you were playing overseas and
maybe probably even around the league after you left here.
Then he puts you in touch with Joe. So you
didn't know Joe at all.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
I knew of him, but you didn't know each other
direct just you know, when he was at West Virginia.
He was a couple of years ahead of me, so
seeing him play in college, but I never knew him personally.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
All right. So he puts you in touch, you get
on the phone I'm assuming.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Oh no, I mean I came, I came up here.
I came up here.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So tell me about the first meeting with because he
is a unique person. He is a very unique person.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
How much did you know coming in?
Speaker 2 (04:13):
I didn't know much about Joe. But you know the
cool thing about it, he gave me a book.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
To read shocking. He does that with the media, the.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Art of learning. Yeah, so being able to see him
do that, that gave me, you know, validation of you know,
this is somewhere I would want.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
To be interesting. So would you take out of the book.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
There's so much I mean, losses, and a loss is
a learning opportunity. So even if you lose, it's a
you know, opportunity for you to learn. So that's part
of my my coaching philosophy. So it enhanced it. So
Joe's always given us books. I read it and I
take I take note and it allows me to become
(04:55):
a better coach.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Do you remember the first time that Joe said or
did something and you were like, Okay, that's different. I've
never seen that done before. I've never heard of coach.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
He's just he's just he's just different. And I feel
like We're all different. Every coach that we have in
our coaching staff, everybody's different. And that's what makes you know,
the Celtics different is we have different perspectives and everybody
has a voice. And the great thing about it is,
you know, Joe's open minded and he listens and that
allows our coaching staff to be better.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
People are gonna believe that too, because we've had Sam
Cassell on an episode this season and he said the
exact same thing. So fan base, if you're listening, like
these fellows are telling the truth.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Bill, what I forgot is your very first season, your
first game was Brad Stevens first season and first game
as well. What do you remember about those times? And
and how is it working for him now that he's
the president of basketball operations.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
I mean, he's he has ability to you know, give
you confidence. You know, as a player, he gave me
confidence and now as a coach, he gives me confidence.
And it doesn't matter if you're there, you know, the
number one on the team or the number now eighteen,
number eighteen. He sees that everybody has a part, everybody
has a role, and that's something that you know, I
(06:16):
take I don't take for granted, he talks about energy
and energy is contagious, and I feel like that's in
any team. I know amongst your team, you guys have
people who bring a lot of energy.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Gotta have it, you got you.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Gotta have it.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
So basically the only thing.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
There you go there you true, you gotta have you
gotta have energy. He talks about attitude. You know, that's
something that I try to bring every day. You know,
there's gonna be good days, it's going to be bad days,
but your attitude is something that you can control.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
So yeah, what do you remember about that first season
because it was a Celtics land. I mean, let's let's
recall Cage, Paul Pierce, like those guys were just traded,
so everyone was in like fresh.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
But that's how you know, you know the Celtics fan base,
That's how you know you guys who are who are
telling the story. That's how you know we have a
strong culture. It's because even in the days where you're
not winning a championship, can you still bring energy and
you still have the you know, the faith in the team.
You know our last game, you know you hurt the
Let's go Celtics, like you don't hear that everywhere even
(07:28):
when you're you know, I don't know how many won
twenty games or something like that, and you hear the
let's go Celtics, So that lets you know that. You know,
Celtics fans, you know they're die hard and you know
they want the best of the team. Whether you're you know,
winning you know, sixty seventy games, or you're only winning twenty.
It's all about energy. Are you bringing that positive you
know that positive energy? And I think, you know, we
(07:51):
did that that year, and that's something that I can
build on. You know, in the future, I'm not always
going to be coaching on great teams like we have now.
There's gonna be time mom coaching on teams that only
have twenty wins. So it's all about perspective. That's a
perspective that I've gained in my first year.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
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Speaker 4 (08:20):
That season, you were an undrafted free agent, just fighting,
clawing for any playing time. When you look at a.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Guy like I appreciate this saying.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
Yes, when you look at a guy like Peyton Pritchard
and how he has been able to I mean, I
know he wasn't undrafted, but kind of do that and
go through seasons where he hardly touched the floor but
maintained that attitude and that energy and now to what
he's been able to do this season. How inspiring is that?
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Inspiring? It's I'm inspired to this day. Like I talk
about to players that I know, young kids coming up
that I know back at home in Texas, Texas, and
that's the guy that I tell him to watch, not
just because he's scoring twenty points, but his work ethic.
He's able to outwork his his opponents. He's he's put
(09:11):
in the you know, the hours which allows him to
have the confidence in the game. But he's a smaller guy.
And if Peyton Pritchrick can make it, you know, I'm
not saying it's you know, anybody can do it, but
it increases your chances. It should inspire kids all over.
So I don't know, Peyton is somebody that you know,
I can relate to. So I'm just happy to be
(09:32):
able to coach him and it's gonna you know, he
helps me become a better coach.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Can you give a little perspective on like just how
hard he does work, because everything that I've heard since
he got here is like he lives. He might as
well have a bed here.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Yeah. We we we talk back and forth, like I'll
talk trash to him and he'll talk trash right back.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
But there's not a lot of guys on this team
who do that.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Oh yeah, yeah, it's fun because Peyton he's an ultimate competitor, right.
He thinks he's the best player on the floor every
single time he touches the floor. And if he didn't
think that way, he probably wouldn't be in the right now. So, uh,
there's there's only good things coming to him. You know.
There's a saying that I kind of grew up on
is you know, heard hard work beast talent when talent
(10:15):
doesn't work hard, And Peyton Pritcher has hard. He works
hard and he's talented. So that's what you get.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
Did you have that mentality when you're on the floor.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Oh, they have to. You have to, especially being a
smaller guy. Yeah, right, So being a smaller guy, you
have to have a chip on your shoulder. I think
you know Peyton has a boulder on his shoulder, you know.
So he's always trying to prove, prove what you know,
others and how they would prove himself right of course,
but also prove the doubters.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
You guys have very similar games in turs like shiftiness, Yeah, shifting.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
He's ball handling though, it's crazy. His his ball handling
is a plus. Of course he could shoot, shoot the
shoot the basketball, but his ball ball handling is a
plus and he works on it.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
All right. We said we were going to talk about
your dad. We've got to do it because he was
an assistant coach for twenty years in.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
The born in Boston.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Now, I was born in San Antonio, Texas, but I
lived in Boston. That's crazy. I lived in Boston.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
As let's he was. He was an assistant here for
four seasons exactly two to six something around there. I remember,
correct if I can remember, Yeah, Hey Tom, I know, man, Hey,
I remember meeting you and you were a rookie. Now
here we are with you as an assistant coach. But yeah,
what was the experience like of kind of growing up
around the NBA with your dad being an assistant coach,
(11:27):
including your time here in Boston.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
Yeah, it's you know, it was. You know, I see
the kids here now, like our Horford's son, you know,
he's he's running around here. You know, you got Dobbin's kids,
you got you know, Joe's son, like all these kids.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Don't forget Deuce, you got Douce.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Yeah, I already all these kids who are growing up
in this you know, in this culture, they don't see it.
It's just normal right until you're out of it. So
now that I'm in the coaching and my son's growing up,
I'm like, man, he's he's in He's in a wonderful
space right here, and I'm just so grateful for it.
You know, being thirteen fourteen living in Boston, I was
(12:04):
able to be around Tony Allen, you know, Paul Prier Pierce,
you know, those guys kind of impacted me to make
me believe I can make it to an NBA. So
there's gonna be one kid or two kids that are
in this in this building every single day, they're probably
going to be in an NBA. And it's gonna be
because of you know, Jason Tatum. It's gonna be because
of Peyton Pritcher, you know, out those guys, their work
(12:24):
ethic is what is going to push those younger kids
to be who they are in fifteen years.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
That's crazy perspective to have because like you've literally seen
oh yeah, you've been a part of it and seeing
it happen, and now you're like watching it happen to
the next generation.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Gonna it is, it's gonna happen.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Under Should it help you when you got to the
league to know just kind of how everything worked and
to kind of give you an advantage in that way?
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Yeah, it's you know, it almost puts it like in
your subconscious mind. Like if you're like looking at Peyton
Princher every single day doing ball handler, if you're looking
at Jalen Brown shooting extra threes after practice, you're looking
at these star players work hard, it's almost like it's
you know, it is what it is. Like You're just like, oh,
that's how it's supposed to be, and that's kind of
how I grew up, and you know I was able
(13:07):
to make it to the highest level, you know, so
you know I just pay it just my job is
to pay it forward, you know, to the next generation.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
All right, it's story time growing up around the NBA.
You just kind of touched on it. You're behind the
scenes with Paul Pierce, with Tony Allen, guys like that.
Of any of the cities that you followed, your dad too,
what's a great story that you remember of like an
interaction with a player or a coach.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
When that's a core memory? Is Tim Duncan he gave
me an NBA Live copy? Oh wow, when he was
on the cover. Oh, that's awesome to like, I don't
know what I don't have, Come on, Phil, I don't
have that. I mean I remember storage Mark, Yeah, I
mean I remember being Tony. I hit a shot that
was like out of bounds behind the chairs. Well I
(13:52):
think Tony, I bet me like five hundred dollars and
I made it womb that Did he pay up?
Speaker 3 (13:57):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Yeah? But like I don't know what you did with
that money?
Speaker 4 (14:02):
A lot of money.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Video games? Yeah, video games for sure.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Any other interactions that kind of stand out from your
time around the league as a.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Younger man, I don't know, Man, I just it's just
so it's so many.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Yeah, there's just so many.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Like I said, it felt like it was normal, right,
but it's not.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
It's not you know, coming from a guy who grew
up in Western New York, but I just barely ever
got to go into an NBA.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Yeah, I just I just felt like it was normal,
just you know, just being around the game. My whole
life has gave me that, you know, that perspective, you know,
And like I said, my job now is to pay
it forward.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
Anything you take from your dad and the way he
coached that you've kind of implemented in your style character.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
That's my dad will always say, is that your character,
your character matters and never burned bridges. Like that's what's
got me to where I am now, maintaining relationship with Brad,
just being keeping the clean, clean slate always, you know,
bringing that positive attitude. That's what I learned from my father.
It has nothing to do with the exes and o's
(15:09):
and like you know what play you're gonna run, you
just will always talk about me your character, your character matters.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Talking about character like this is your going on twelve
years since you you first joined this organization, that's when
I met you. Your character's been top of the top
ever since then. So we're happy that you're back We're
happy that you got a title in your first year
back here. We're looking forward to trying to get another appreciation.
Your brother appreciate it. Thanks for coming. Yeah, the energy,
the character.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
We love it.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
You feel
Welcome to Season five View from the rafters. Behind the
scenes with the Boston Celtics.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Your attitude is something that you can control us.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
I never thought of it that way.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Which one sticks out to you?
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Defense is hard?
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Bro?
Speaker 4 (00:10):
Do you have that mentality when you're on the floor.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Yeah, we're sitting here having these conversations.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
What do we crap? Or we just want a championship?
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Be a part of that winning atmosphere. All right, Phil
Pressey Man, you have had an interesting career here, particularly
with the Boston Celtics. There where you started at all right,
as an under at the free agent. You're playing for
Brad Stevens right when you walk in the door. Now
he's running the show upstairs as president of basketball operations,
(00:36):
where now you are coaching for him and for Joe Missoula.
How crazy is this that this is where it all
started for you and then you're back here on the
coaching staff, and not only on the coaching staff, but
winning a championship in year one.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Oh yeah, well, you know, I'm just so grateful to
be in this position, being able to come here as
a you know, twenty one to twenty two year old rookie.
I was able to play for a great coach, Brad Stevens,
which actually got me into coaching.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
So he's the one who made you start thinking.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
He's one of the coaches that I've played for throughout
my career. I played for a great coaches, you know,
coming up and being able to start my professional career
with Brad allowed me to you know, see myself as
a coach, maintain that relationship throughout my whole professional career.
And then you know, he connected me with Joe and
being able to you know, see the eye to eye
(01:24):
with Joe allowed me to, you know, get a position
as a coach.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
How did Brad impact you in those early years, because
that's interesting that you started thinking about coaching when you
because I know what I was thinking about it twenty
one and it wasn't being here right now.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
No, you know, my my father was a coach. So
and then we'll touch on that. Me being a point guard,
I always felt like, you know, I was a coach
on the floor. But you know, Brad's attention to detail,
his ability to uh look forward, playing ahead, like all
that stuff I took note of to one day when
(02:01):
I did get into coach and I am coaching, I
can you know add that to my own philosophy?
Speaker 4 (02:06):
What was it? Was there a moment when you realize
that you did want to coach, Like you said, you're
a coach on the floor, but to be a coach,
especially in this league, it's a lot of work, and
it's a lot of work that gets overlooked and a
lot of people don't know.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
By the way, at an age where you could probably
still be playing overseas if you wanted to. I mean, yeah,
you're thirty three right now, right correct, I mean there's
still miles on those legs.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Nah, definitely, definitely. And you know, going to Europe, I
played for some you know, fantastic coaches over there, and
how they see the game in Europe is you know,
a little different than how we do things here in
the States, you know, with the tactics and the strategy.
So I don't know, just playing for great coaches kind
of put me in this space. I don't know when
(02:48):
I when I felt it, probably around like the age
of twenty eight twenty nine. I started seeing myself, you know,
planning for the future five years ahead. I was like, Okay,
if I'm going to coach, let me start, you know,
making the context and connections I need, and you know
that led me to where I am now.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
But it's not something you always wanted to do saw yourself.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
But you know, like your friends, your your your teachers,
your your relatives, your your parents. They asked you what
would you do if you didn't play basketball? Like, what's
your your plan being?
Speaker 1 (03:17):
For me?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
I always said coaching. So being able to say that
and then actually be here makes me whatever I say
now is going to be where I'm going to be interesting.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Oh yeah, that's all. It is interesting abundance. As I've
heard President Rich got themselves a few times years.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
It's true all I'm all for.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
All right. So you touched on, you kept in touch
with Brad, like even while you were playing overseas and
maybe probably even around the league after you left here.
Then he puts you in touch with Joe. So you
didn't know Joe at all.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
I knew of him, but you didn't know each other
direct just you know, when he was at West Virginia.
He was a couple of years ahead of me, so
seeing him play in college, but I never knew him personally.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
All right. So he puts you in touch, you get
on the phone I'm assuming.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Oh no, I mean I came, I came up here.
I came up here.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So tell me about the first meeting with because he
is a unique person. He is a very unique person.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
How much did you know coming in?
Speaker 2 (04:13):
I didn't know much about Joe. But you know the
cool thing about it, he gave me a book.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
To read shocking. He does that with the media, the.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Art of learning. Yeah, so being able to see him
do that, that gave me, you know, validation of you know,
this is somewhere I would want.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
To be interesting. So would you take out of the book.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
There's so much I mean, losses, and a loss is
a learning opportunity. So even if you lose, it's a
you know, opportunity for you to learn. So that's part
of my my coaching philosophy. So it enhanced it. So
Joe's always given us books. I read it and I
take I take note and it allows me to become
(04:55):
a better coach.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Do you remember the first time that Joe said or
did something and you were like, Okay, that's different. I've
never seen that done before. I've never heard of coach.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
He's just he's just he's just different. And I feel
like We're all different. Every coach that we have in
our coaching staff, everybody's different. And that's what makes you know,
the Celtics different is we have different perspectives and everybody
has a voice. And the great thing about it is,
you know, Joe's open minded and he listens and that
allows our coaching staff to be better.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
People are gonna believe that too, because we've had Sam
Cassell on an episode this season and he said the
exact same thing. So fan base, if you're listening, like
these fellows are telling the truth.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Bill, what I forgot is your very first season, your
first game was Brad Stevens first season and first game
as well. What do you remember about those times? And
and how is it working for him now that he's
the president of basketball operations.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
I mean, he's he has ability to you know, give
you confidence. You know, as a player, he gave me
confidence and now as a coach, he gives me confidence.
And it doesn't matter if you're there, you know, the
number one on the team or the number now eighteen,
number eighteen. He sees that everybody has a part, everybody
has a role, and that's something that you know, I
(06:16):
take I don't take for granted, he talks about energy
and energy is contagious, and I feel like that's in
any team. I know amongst your team, you guys have
people who bring a lot of energy.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Gotta have it, you got you.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Gotta have it.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
So basically the only thing.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
There you go there you true, you gotta have you
gotta have energy. He talks about attitude. You know, that's
something that I try to bring every day. You know,
there's gonna be good days, it's going to be bad days,
but your attitude is something that you can control.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
So yeah, what do you remember about that first season
because it was a Celtics land. I mean, let's let's
recall Cage, Paul Pierce, like those guys were just traded,
so everyone was in like fresh.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
But that's how you know, you know the Celtics fan base,
That's how you know you guys who are who are
telling the story. That's how you know we have a
strong culture. It's because even in the days where you're
not winning a championship, can you still bring energy and
you still have the you know, the faith in the team.
You know our last game, you know you hurt the
Let's go Celtics, like you don't hear that everywhere even
(07:28):
when you're you know, I don't know how many won
twenty games or something like that, and you hear the
let's go Celtics, So that lets you know that. You know,
Celtics fans, you know they're die hard and you know
they want the best of the team. Whether you're you know,
winning you know, sixty seventy games, or you're only winning twenty.
It's all about energy. Are you bringing that positive you
know that positive energy? And I think, you know, we
(07:51):
did that that year, and that's something that I can
build on. You know, in the future, I'm not always
going to be coaching on great teams like we have now.
There's gonna be time mom coaching on teams that only
have twenty wins. So it's all about perspective. That's a
perspective that I've gained in my first year.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
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Speaker 4 (08:20):
That season, you were an undrafted free agent, just fighting,
clawing for any playing time. When you look at a.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Guy like I appreciate this saying.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
Yes, when you look at a guy like Peyton Pritchard
and how he has been able to I mean, I
know he wasn't undrafted, but kind of do that and
go through seasons where he hardly touched the floor but
maintained that attitude and that energy and now to what
he's been able to do this season. How inspiring is that?
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Inspiring? It's I'm inspired to this day. Like I talk
about to players that I know, young kids coming up
that I know back at home in Texas, Texas, and
that's the guy that I tell him to watch, not
just because he's scoring twenty points, but his work ethic.
He's able to outwork his his opponents. He's he's put
(09:11):
in the you know, the hours which allows him to
have the confidence in the game. But he's a smaller guy.
And if Peyton Pritchrick can make it, you know, I'm
not saying it's you know, anybody can do it, but
it increases your chances. It should inspire kids all over.
So I don't know, Peyton is somebody that you know,
I can relate to. So I'm just happy to be
(09:32):
able to coach him and it's gonna you know, he
helps me become a better coach.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Can you give a little perspective on like just how
hard he does work, because everything that I've heard since
he got here is like he lives. He might as
well have a bed here.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Yeah. We we we talk back and forth, like I'll
talk trash to him and he'll talk trash right back.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
But there's not a lot of guys on this team
who do that.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Oh yeah, yeah, it's fun because Peyton he's an ultimate competitor, right.
He thinks he's the best player on the floor every
single time he touches the floor. And if he didn't
think that way, he probably wouldn't be in the right now. So, uh,
there's there's only good things coming to him. You know.
There's a saying that I kind of grew up on
is you know, heard hard work beast talent when talent
(10:15):
doesn't work hard, And Peyton Pritcher has hard. He works
hard and he's talented. So that's what you get.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
Did you have that mentality when you're on the floor.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Oh, they have to. You have to, especially being a
smaller guy. Yeah, right, So being a smaller guy, you
have to have a chip on your shoulder. I think
you know Peyton has a boulder on his shoulder, you know.
So he's always trying to prove, prove what you know,
others and how they would prove himself right of course,
but also prove the doubters.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
You guys have very similar games in turs like shiftiness, Yeah, shifting.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
He's ball handling though, it's crazy. His his ball handling
is a plus. Of course he could shoot, shoot the
shoot the basketball, but his ball ball handling is a
plus and he works on it.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
All right. We said we were going to talk about
your dad. We've got to do it because he was
an assistant coach for twenty years in.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
The born in Boston.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Now, I was born in San Antonio, Texas, but I
lived in Boston. That's crazy. I lived in Boston.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
As let's he was. He was an assistant here for
four seasons exactly two to six something around there. I remember,
correct if I can remember, Yeah, Hey Tom, I know, man, Hey,
I remember meeting you and you were a rookie. Now
here we are with you as an assistant coach. But yeah,
what was the experience like of kind of growing up
around the NBA with your dad being an assistant coach,
(11:27):
including your time here in Boston.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
Yeah, it's you know, it was. You know, I see
the kids here now, like our Horford's son, you know,
he's he's running around here. You know, you got Dobbin's kids,
you got you know, Joe's son, like all these kids.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Don't forget Deuce, you got Douce.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Yeah, I already all these kids who are growing up
in this you know, in this culture, they don't see it.
It's just normal right until you're out of it. So
now that I'm in the coaching and my son's growing up,
I'm like, man, he's he's in He's in a wonderful
space right here, and I'm just so grateful for it.
You know, being thirteen fourteen living in Boston, I was
(12:04):
able to be around Tony Allen, you know, Paul Prier Pierce,
you know, those guys kind of impacted me to make
me believe I can make it to an NBA. So
there's gonna be one kid or two kids that are
in this in this building every single day, they're probably
going to be in an NBA. And it's gonna be
because of you know, Jason Tatum. It's gonna be because
of Peyton Pritcher, you know, out those guys, their work
(12:24):
ethic is what is going to push those younger kids
to be who they are in fifteen years.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
That's crazy perspective to have because like you've literally seen
oh yeah, you've been a part of it and seeing
it happen, and now you're like watching it happen to
the next generation.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Gonna it is, it's gonna happen.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Under Should it help you when you got to the
league to know just kind of how everything worked and
to kind of give you an advantage in that way?
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Yeah, it's you know, it almost puts it like in
your subconscious mind. Like if you're like looking at Peyton
Princher every single day doing ball handler, if you're looking
at Jalen Brown shooting extra threes after practice, you're looking
at these star players work hard, it's almost like it's
you know, it is what it is. Like You're just like, oh,
that's how it's supposed to be, and that's kind of
how I grew up, and you know I was able
(13:07):
to make it to the highest level, you know, so
you know I just pay it just my job is
to pay it forward, you know, to the next generation.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
All right, it's story time growing up around the NBA.
You just kind of touched on it. You're behind the
scenes with Paul Pierce, with Tony Allen, guys like that.
Of any of the cities that you followed, your dad too,
what's a great story that you remember of like an
interaction with a player or a coach.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
When that's a core memory? Is Tim Duncan he gave
me an NBA Live copy? Oh wow, when he was
on the cover. Oh, that's awesome to like, I don't
know what I don't have, Come on, Phil, I don't
have that. I mean I remember storage Mark, Yeah, I
mean I remember being Tony. I hit a shot that
was like out of bounds behind the chairs. Well I
(13:52):
think Tony, I bet me like five hundred dollars and
I made it womb that Did he pay up?
Speaker 3 (13:57):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Yeah? But like I don't know what you did with
that money?
Speaker 4 (14:02):
A lot of money.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Video games? Yeah, video games for sure.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Any other interactions that kind of stand out from your
time around the league as a.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Younger man, I don't know, Man, I just it's just
so it's so many.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Yeah, there's just so many.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Like I said, it felt like it was normal, right,
but it's not.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
It's not you know, coming from a guy who grew
up in Western New York, but I just barely ever
got to go into an NBA.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Yeah, I just I just felt like it was normal,
just you know, just being around the game. My whole
life has gave me that, you know, that perspective, you know,
And like I said, my job now is to pay
it forward.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
Anything you take from your dad and the way he
coached that you've kind of implemented in your style character.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
That's my dad will always say, is that your character,
your character matters and never burned bridges. Like that's what's
got me to where I am now, maintaining relationship with Brad,
just being keeping the clean, clean slate always, you know,
bringing that positive attitude. That's what I learned from my father.
It has nothing to do with the exes and o's
(15:09):
and like you know what play you're gonna run, you
just will always talk about me your character, your character matters.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Talking about character like this is your going on twelve
years since you you first joined this organization, that's when
I met you. Your character's been top of the top
ever since then. So we're happy that you're back We're
happy that you got a title in your first year
back here. We're looking forward to trying to get another appreciation.
Your brother appreciate it. Thanks for coming. Yeah, the energy,
the character.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
We love it.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
You feel
Host
Marc D'Amico
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