Phil Pressey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Phil Pressey

Pressey warming up with Barcelona in 2018
Maine Celtics
Head coach
Personal information
Born	(1991-02-17) February 17, 1991 (age 34) Dallas, Texas, U.S.
High school	Cushing Academy (Ashburnham, Massachusetts) Episcopal School of Dallas (Dallas, Texas)
Listed height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Listed weight	177 lb (80 kg)
Career information
College	Missouri (2010–2013)
NBA Draft	2013 / Undrafted
Pro career	2013–2022
Coaching career	2022–present
League	NBA
Career history
As player:
2013–2015	Boston Celtics
2015	→Maine Red Claws
2015	Philadelphia 76ers
2015–2016	Idaho Stampede
2016	Phoenix Suns
2016–2017	Santa Cruz Warriors
2017–2018	FC Barcelona
2018–2019	Beşiktaş
2019–2020	Estudiantes
2020–2022	EWE Baskets Oldenburg
As coach:
2022–2023	Missouri (graduate assistant)
2023–2025	Boston Celtics (assistant)
2025–present	Maine Celtics
Career highlights and awards
As player: Copa del Rey champion (2018) First-team All-SEC (2013) Third-team All-Big 12 (2012) AP Honorable mention All-American (2013) As assistant coach: NBA champion (2024)

Phillip Michael Pressey (born February 17, 1991) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He played as a point guard, which is a player who leads the team's offense. Currently, he is the head coach for the Maine Celtics in the NBA G League.

Phil Pressey played for several teams during his career. These included the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also played for teams in the NBA Development League (now G League), like the Maine Red Claws. Later, he played professionally overseas for teams such as FC Barcelona Lassa and Movistar Estudiantes. Before turning pro, Pressey played college basketball for the Missouri Tigers.

As a college player, Phil Pressey was known for his amazing passing and stealing skills. He set records for assists and steals at the University of Missouri. He was also recognized as one of the best players in his college conference. His father, Paul Pressey, was also a famous NBA player.

Early Life and High School Basketball

2009 Nike Global Challenge

When Phil Pressey was young, he was already a talented basketball player. In 2006, at just 5 feet 3 inches tall, he led his team, the Boston Amateur Basketball Club (BABC), to a national championship. He had joined this team when he was in seventh grade.

Phil attended Waltham High School and then Cushing Academy in Massachusetts. His family moved to Dallas, Texas, in 2008 because his father got a job with the New Orleans Hornets. Phil then played for the Episcopal School of Dallas. During his two years there, his team won state championships in 2009 and 2010.

Pressey became very popular online for his incredible dunks, especially because he was shorter than many other players. One video showed him dunking over a player nearly a foot taller than him, which got over 900,000 views on YouTube. Because of his height, people often compared him to another famous shorter basketball player, Spud Webb.

Pressey in 2009

Phil decided to play college basketball for the Missouri Tigers in 2009. His father had played with Missouri's head coach, Mike Anderson, who was like an "Uncle Mike" to Phil. His older brother, Matt, also joined him at Missouri.

College Basketball Career

Freshman Year Highlights

In his first year at Missouri (2010-2011), Phil Pressey quickly showed his talent. He tied a school record for freshmen with 11 assists in one game. He also set a new school record for steals in a postseason game with 6 steals. Even though he broke his finger and missed some games, he still set new freshman records for average steals (2.0) and average assists (3.9) for the season.

Sophomore Year Success

During his second year (2011-2012), Pressey continued to shine. He had several games with 12 assists, showing his amazing passing ability. He broke school records for total assists in a season (223) and average assists per game (6.4). He was recognized as one of the best players in the Big 12 Conference and was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, which goes to the best point guard in college basketball.

Junior Year and Records

As a junior (2012-2013), Pressey became a team captain. He was named a preseason All-American by several sports news outlets. He tied a Southeastern Conference (SEC) record with 19 assists in a single game against UCLA. He also scored a career-high 26 points in another game, earning him SEC Player of the Week.

Pressey broke his college's career assist record, passing the previous record of 497 assists. He also tied the school's career steals record with 196 steals. He was named to the All-SEC First Team and was the conference's assist champion, averaging 7.1 assists per game. After this successful junior season, Pressey decided to enter the 2013 NBA draft.

Professional Basketball Career

Starting with the Boston Celtics (2013–2015)

Even though Phil Pressey was not chosen in the 2013 NBA draft, the Boston Celtics signed him after he played well in the NBA Summer League. He already knew the Celtics well because his youth team used to practice at their facility.

Pressey made his NBA debut in October 2013. He quickly showed his skills, getting his first assists, steal, and field goal in November. He even started some games for the Celtics, including one where he had 10 assists with no turnovers. He also scored a career-high 20 points in another game. In April 2014, he had a career-high 13 assists twice in a row. He played for the Celtics for two seasons.

Playing for Other NBA Teams (2015–2016)

After leaving the Celtics, Pressey signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in November 2015. He played 14 games for them before being waived. He then joined the Idaho Stampede in the NBA Development League.

In February 2016, Pressey signed a short contract with the Phoenix Suns. In one game, he recorded three blocks, becoming the first NBA player under 6 feet tall to do so since 2013. He also had a game with 10 assists. After his time with the Suns, he returned to the Idaho Stampede.

Overseas and G League (2016–2022)

Pressey later signed with the Golden State Warriors in 2016 but was waived before the season started. He then played for their G League team, the Santa Cruz Warriors.

In 2017, Phil Pressey moved to Europe to play for FC Barcelona Lassa in Spain. His team won the Copa del Rey, a major Spanish basketball cup, in 2018. After Barcelona, he played for Beşiktaş in Turkey (2018-2019) and then returned to Spain to play for Movistar Estudiantes (2019-2020). From 2020 to 2022, he played for EWE Baskets Oldenburg in Germany.

Coaching Career

After his playing career, Phil Pressey transitioned into coaching. In June 2022, he joined his former college team, the Missouri Tigers, as an assistant coach.

In June 2023, he was hired by the Boston Celtics as an assistant coach. The Celtics went on to win the NBA championship in 2024, making Pressey an NBA champion as an assistant coach.

As of July 2025, the Maine Celtics announced that Phil Pressey will become their new head coach for the 2025-26 season. This marks a new chapter in his basketball journey, leading a team in the NBA G League.

Career Statistics

NBA Regular Season

NBA Playoffs

Personal Life

Phil's parents are Elizabeth and Paul Pressey. He has three siblings: Ashley, Angela, and Paul Jr. (who goes by Matthew). His father, Paul Sr., was a very successful basketball player, an NCAA All-American, and an NBA first-round draft pick. Phil played alongside his older brother Matt for two years at Missouri. His older sister, Angie, was an All-American volleyball player. Phil was also childhood friends and teammates with Alex Oriakhi, who later joined him at Missouri.

See also

In Spanish: Phil Pressey para niños