Boston Celtics share 6-word message after Payton Pritchard wins NBA Sixth Man of the Year

On Tuesday, the NBA officially announced that Payton Pritchard had been selected as the Sixth Man of the Year for his contributions to the Boston Celtics during the 2024–25 season. Moments later, the franchise shared a message congratulating the guard.

“No doubt about it. Congrats, Payton,” was the first post the Celtics published on their official Instagram and X accounts once the news broke that Pritchard had been honored by the NBA. The message was accompanied by an image showing the guard’s face alongside some of his impressive stats from this season.

Pritchard earned the award with a standout campaign. Among all bench players across the league, the Celtics guard led in total points (1,079), made three-pointers (246), and games with 20 or more points (23). He was also a key contributor in Boston finishing second in the Eastern Conference with a 61–21 record.

The Celtics later shared several more social media posts celebrating the award, including quotes from Payton himself about his work ethic and how it’s shaped his journey. “Somebody that just has a dying passion for something they love and pour everything into it. That’s the definition of hard work. That’s what I believe in… I just don’t think you can accomplish anything at the highest of levels, unless you give it all.”

Boston Celtics’ post on Instagram

How did the NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting finish?

Payton Pritchard won the Sixth Man of the Year award by a wide margin. After announcing the honor for the Boston Celtics player, the NBA released the final voting results, which showed just how dominant his performance was among the league’s top bench contributors.

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A global media panel of 100 voters determined the winner, using a point system of 5, 3, and 1 for first-, second-, and third-place votes. Payton received 82 first-place votes out of 100, while the remaining 18 voters placed him second or third—demonstrating strong consensus in his favor.

Pritchard led the voting with 454 points, followed by the Detroit Pistons’ Malik Beasley with 279. Cleveland Cavaliers’ Ty Jerome finished third with 91 points, with Cleveland’s De’Andre Hunter and Minnesota Timberwolves’ Naz Reid trailing behind, among others.

Boston Celtics tie NBA record

With Payton Pritchard’s Sixth Man of the Year trophy, the Boston Celtics have tied the Los Angeles Clippers for the most winners of the award in league history, with five. Previous Celtics winners are Kevin McHale (1984 and 1985), Bill Walton (1986), and Malcolm Brogdon (2023).