Payton Pritchard faces a unique problem every time he steps out of the house with his wife and influencer Emma MacDonald Pritchard. The NBA champ is the lesser-known of the celebrity power couple, and fans end up recognizing his wife more than him. The NBA champ sat down on the White Noise Podcast to discuss how he’s perpetually confused as fans walk up to him, since he has no clue whether they’ll know him through basketball or through his wife’s vlogs.
“100%. Especially in the East Coast area. I mean, I can’t even say East Coast because I’ll be anywhere, and like, I’m thinking somebody’s coming up for me, and they are like, really coming up to tell me that they are fans of Emma. And they don’t even really know that I play ball,” Pritchard candidly said.
He admitted that part of his female fanbase does not come from basketball; they know him through his wife. He even accepted that it was, in a way, Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift-esque, when the co-host suggested it. Despite becoming a prominent bench figure in one of the NBA’s powerhouses, winning the championship and the Sixth Man of the Year trophy, Pritchard’s fame is dominated by the hundreds of thousands of followers his wife has.
Emma MacDonald Pritchard has 840,000+ followers on TikTok, more than 66 million total views on YouTube, along 370,000+ subscribers. Young social media users, especially women, are serial consumers of her lifestyle and fashion videos.
Growing up in Dennis, Massachusetts, she started making content when she was in high school, and by the time she was in her early 20s, she was already a social media star. And her younger sister, Maggie MacDonald, is also following her path of influence. The 27-year-old NBA athlete reportedly connected with his wife on Instagram before they finally hit it off when they met on the dating app, Raya.
Pritchard proposed to MacDonald in July 2023, on a beach in Cape Cod, after moving in with her in March of the same year. Their wedding took place in August last year, at the Wychmere Beach Club, Harwich Port, Massachusetts, and it was officiated by Pritchard’s former Boston Celtics teammate, Blake Griffin. Having celebrated his wedding anniversary just a couple of months ago, he revealed how the couple celebrated their special day.
“There’s a hotel-resort kind of a thing, in Big Sur, California. And, it’s like on the cliffs, and it’s like tree houses. I’m above the clouds, but I can see the water; it’s sick. So, we rented that place and spent a couple of nights there. We just hung out.” Pritchard said.
This pre-season is crucial for Pritchard. He’s posted 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in the two games he’s played, while shooting 46% from the field. Last year, he won the Sixth Man of the Year award after averaging 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. With the Boston Celtics facing multiple injuries to their star cast this season, Pritchard will be expected to take up a more central role in the Celtics’ offense. Hopefully, he’s up for the challenge.
