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We must be halfway through the offseason because Payton Pritchard is back in the office. The gym rat was seen over the weekend at former Celtic Isaiah Thomas’ Zeke-End tournament.
For Thomas, it’s a chance to show kids in the Seattle area that their hoop dreams are achievable, a lesson he learned when local legends like Jamal Crawford and Jason Terry came home, too.
“He’s somebody that I’ve looked up to growing up,” Pritchard said. “Seeing his success and being the player he is, I just always wanted to come back and play in his event. But, also, just to be around somebody like that and be associated with him is big time. Being an undersized guard and the way he’s able to score and kill the game, that gave me hope.
“I really try to take things from him to put it in my own game. The passion he has for the game and the will, it was really motivating.”
For PP, it wasn’t just an opportunity to entertain over the weekend. Zeke-End is a highly competitive Pro-Am and while it may not exactly have a Finals atmosphere, he appreciates the chance to sharpen his tools against other NBA players.
“There’s a lot of good players, a lot of NBA dudes that come back and play. It’s not like dudes are just out here throwing up random shots. They are actually trying to play and compete. That’s what I love about it. We all compete because we are playing in a tournament that is run by one of the biggest competitors out there.”
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