NBA Champion Payton Pritchard Marries Youtuber, Blake Griffin Officiates
In the past decade of Oregon Ducks Athletics, many could debate that former Oregon Basketball point guard Payton Pritchard hitting a game-winning three at Alaska Airlines Arena and pointing to the court, yelling “This is my city,” to hoards of heartbroken Washington Husky fans is an era defining moment for the Oregon Ducks.
Now, the “Wizard of West Linn” completed two defining moments in his own life: winning an NBA Championship and tying the knot with content creator Emma MacDonald.
The Cape Cod inspired wedding took place at the Wychmere Beach Club in Harwich Port, Massachusetts, as an ode to the bride’s roots in New England. Over 250 guests attended the wedding as Pritchard’s former teammate and retired athlete Blake Griffin, officiated. Former Oregon Duck and Pritchard's teammate Anthony Mathis posted about attending the celebration. It’s currently unclear how many Oregon alumnus attended the event.
In pictures posted to Pritchard’s Instagram, the newlyweds can be seen holding up and kissing the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. During the Boston Celtics 2024 championship run, Pritchard hit the longest shot (from half court) in the NBA Finals since 1998.
MacDonald and Pritchard originally met through social media, but officially connected via the Raya celebrity dating app in 2021. MacDonald is a content creator on Youtube with over 300,000 followers. She posted a video yesterday detailing the wedding plans leading up to her marriage to Pritchard. MacDonald changed her social media name to “Emma Pritchard” moving forward.
Pritchard ended the 2023 through 2024 season with the Boston Celtics with 9.6 points per game, 46.8 percent field goal shooting, 3.4 assists per game, and a 38.5 percent three point percentage.
At Oregon, Pritchard became one of the most accomplished Ducks in program history, earning 2020 Pac-12 Player of the Year honors and the 2020 Bob Cousy Award. The consensus All-American is the winningest Duck in program history, winning 105 of his 144 games played.
Noted for his grit, toughness, and team mentality, Pritchard has received high praise from his NBA all-star teammate Jayson Tatum.
“"Payton is one of the most confident guys I’ve ever been around… He walks out there like he’s the best player,” Tatum said. “To have that confidence is special and we need him to be like that.”
“He’s being aggressive on both ends, being able to attack closeouts and create his own shots [and] create for others. To have that off the bench is special,” Tatum said.
Pritchard is beloved in Oregon and it seems the love is reciprocal. At the Celtics NBA Championship parade Pritchard represented his home state and alma mater in a 1994 Pac-10 champions Oregon Rose Bowl shirt.
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