Blake Griffin makes awesome cameo at Payton Pritchard’s wedding
By Jack Simone
![Boston Celtics, Blake Griffin, Payton Pritchard, Payton Pritchard wedding Boston Celtics, Blake Griffin, Payton Pritchard, Payton Pritchard wedding](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5659,h_3183,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/18/01j5269cy5d8egyy37yk.jpg)
The Boston Celtics are a tight-knit group. It helped them win a championship this past year, but it’s not a connection they built overnight. Boston’s team chemistry has accumulated through years of togetherness. And sometimes, that togetherness bleeds off the court.
Long-time NBA veteran Blake Griffin joined the Celtics for their 2022-23 campaign, and throughout their 2-23-24 title run, there were multiple instances where the squad begged him to come back. He obviously declined, but that doesn’t mean his relationships with the team were severed. Quite the opposite, actually.
Former Celtics big man Blake Griffin officiated Payton Pritchard's wedding
In fact, Griffin just recently officiated Payton Pritchard’s wedding.
Blake Griffin Officiated Payton Pritchard’s Wedding today
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) August 11, 2024
-#celtics #bostonceltics
Via @FCHWPO/IG
⚡️ by @Gametime @PrizePicks pic.twitter.com/PKOLLirIh6
Griffin and Pritchard were very close throughout the 2022-23 campaign. They were both part of what was dubbed the “Stay Ready Crew,” as neither was receiving regular minutes during the season.
Along with guys like Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet, Griffin and Pritchard donned matching shirts, rode the same bus, and became very close friends. Apparently, close enough to play a role in each other’s wedding.
Griffin retired from the NBA in the middle of April, right before the Celtics began their championship-winning playoff run. In 13 NBA seasons, Griffin averaged 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists while shooting 49.3% from the floor and 32.8% from beyond the three-point line.
While with the Celtics, Griffin didn’t have a huge role, but it was a crucial one. With Al Horford getting up there in age, Griffin was tasked with earning spot starts. And he was solid in those minutes.
Some teams are elite on the court, but the key to winning a championship is building bonds that extend past that barrier. That was what Griffin was best at.
He constantly brought good vibes to the team, and while the Celtics weren’t able to finish the job with a title that year, Griffin still played a huge role in the development of the team.
His consistent energy and happiness just to be around, even if it was in a role he was completely unused to, was huge for that Boston team, and the city loved him for it.
So, while he may not be with the team anymore, seeing that Griffin is still very close with the rest of the Celtics is a very fun plotline to follow.
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