Pritchard claims he is “the best overall athlete” on the Celtics. Originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics’ new approach to training camp warmups has given players the opportunity to showcase their athleticism.

Walking football, handball, wiffleball and speed walk baton throw are among the warm-up exercises the Celtics have used to break up the monotony of practice.

“Our strength and conditioning team is doing a great job finding unique ways to make sure the guys are loose and ready for practice,” coach Joe Mazzulla said Wednesday in Abu Dhabi.

CS guard Payton Pritchard enjoyed turning warmups into a competition with his teammates.

“I like the warm-ups a lot more than just the general stretches,” he said Wednesday. “It gets boring, so we treated it almost like children. We played handball, we played soccer, wiffleball and walking. To make them more fun. It’s more competitive. It gets the tension flowing.”

When our Chris Forsberg asked Pritchard to name the best handball player on the team, the 26-year-old didn’t hesitate to give a bold answer.

“I definitely was,” he replied. “I mean, I’m probably the best athlete in any sport on the team.”

Pritchard didn’t stop there. He claimed he would be “that guy” if there was a Celtics decathlon.

“I would 100 percent be that guy,” Pritchard said. “JB (Jaylen Brown) might think it could be him. Actually we have D-White (Derrick White), Sam (Hauser) some good ones, but I think in all sports I think I get it for sure.”

“It’s not trust, it’s the truth,” he added.

Whether Pritchard is the C’s best athlete is up for debate, but there’s no denying that he’s the team’s best halfcourt shooter. In Games 2 and 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals, he cemented himself in the Celtics’ tradition with unforgettable halfcourt buzzer-beaters.

Pritchard will resume his role as a key figure on the Celtics’ bench during the 2024-25 NBA season. Boston will begin its preseason with games against the Denver Nuggets on October 4th and 6th in Abu Dhabi.