"They tryna send bro to Valhalla" - NBA fans horrified after Payton Pritchard suffers scary neck injury in Celtics training camp

NBA fans reacted to Payton Pritchard's scary neck wound after the Boston Celtics training camp on Saturday. The Celtics guard appeared for the media interaction with a bloody wound on his neck.

When Pritchard was asked about the wound, he pointed to the Celtics pushing the players to be extra physical.

"It's been very physical," Pritchard said. "It's definitely been a war out there."

Reacting to Pritchard's scary neck injury, a fan hilariously commented that the Celtics players were involved in UFC night in practice.

"the team loses Tatum and they start preparing for the ufc instead."

Nick

@nickwhite112

@taylorcsnow @austinbickmore the team loses Tatum and they start preparing for the ufc instead

One of the fans hilariously wrote that the Celtics players might be playing deadly defense on Payton Pritchard.

"They tryna send bro to Valhalla."

Darren Harris believer

@Duke_Buzz

@taylorcsnow They tryna send bro to Valhalla

"To my friend Payton Pritchard. Rest now brother, we have the watch and I’ll see you in Valhalla."

JC7-Osama Boone Laden

@Oso4real67

@taylorcsnow To my friend Payton Pritchard. Rest now brother, we have the watch and I’ll see you in Valhalla.

A fan hilariously wrote that the Celtics players were testing Payton Pritchard's loyalty to Boston.

"They were tryna see if dat boy would #BleedGreen."

Artūras Karnišovas

@ArturasK47

@taylorcsnow They were tryna see if dat boy would #BleedGreen

"Celtics gotta bunch of cats on their team 😹."

Socially Based

@sociallybased

@taylorcsnow Celtics gotta bunch of cats on their team 😹

One of the fans suggested that the Celtics players cut their nails.

"Look at his neck someone needs to cut their fingernails."

Joseph

@bgood1824

@taylorcsnow Look at his neck someone needs to cut their fingernails

A fan was more worried about Pritchard not getting his would dressed.

"I'm being completely serious when I ask... isn't he supposed to get his wounds cleaned and dressed... especially ones where there's clearly blood... before interacting with other people?"

Quenton Albertie (ℚ)

@qshironalberti3

@taylorcsnow I'm being completely serious when I ask... isn't he supposed to get his wounds cleaned and dressed... especially ones where there's clearly blood... before interacting with other people?

Payton Pritchard reveals the renewed Celtics' approach to defense after Thunder NBA Finals win

The Boston Celtics' roster for the 2025-26 season looks nothing like their last season. The 2023-24 champions saw their downfall right, and even worse, Jayson Tatum, their best player, exited the season with a horrific Achilles injury.

The new Celtics roster will be without players like Jrue Holiday, Luke Kornet and Kristaps Porzingis, who played a crucial part in their defense last season. For the next season, Payton Pritchard revealed that his team was taking a more physical approach in their defense, taking lessons from defending champions OKC Thunder.

"When you see OKC, who won the championship, they get away with a lot of hands, fouls, physicality, stuff like that," he said. "The NBA, in the playoffs, is allowing a lot more physicality now."

"But you've got to learn how to play through it and be more physical. We're emphasizing it. It's been good."

Pritchard also added that aside from them getting more physical on defense, the Celtics were also adding speed to their offense for the next season.