Phil Pressey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Phil Pressey

Pressey warming up with Barcelona in 2018
Boston Celtics
Assistant 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–present	Boston Celtics (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
NBA Champion 2024 (assistant coach) Copa del Rey champion (2018) First-team All-SEC (2013) Third-team All-Big 12 (2012) AP Honorable mention All-American (2013)

Phillip Michael Pressey (born February 17, 1991) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He played as a point guard. Currently, he is an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Before becoming a coach, Phil played for several teams. These included the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Phoenix Suns in the NBA. He also played for teams in the NBA Development League, like the Maine Red Claws and Idaho Stampede.

As a college player, Phil was a star for the Missouri Tigers. In 2013, he decided to leave college early to join the 2013 NBA draft. He was known for leading the Big 12 Conference in assists and steals. He also set a record in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) for assists in a single game. Phil was recognized as an All-American in 2013.

In high school, Phil was an All-state player in Texas. He helped his team win state championships in 2009 and 2010. Videos of him dunking over taller players became very popular online. Phil's father, Paul Pressey, was also a famous NBA player.

Early Life and High School Basketball

2009 Nike Global Challenge

When Phil was 15, he was about 5 feet 3 inches tall. In 2006, he led his team, the Boston Amateur Basketball Club (BABC), to win the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) National Championship. He had joined this team when he was in seventh grade.

Phil played his first year of high school basketball at Waltham High School in Massachusetts. His second year was at Cushing Academy. His family moved often because of his father's jobs with NBA teams. Phil spent his summers playing with his BABC teammate, Alex Oriakhi, who would later join him at Missouri.

In 2008, Phil's family moved to Dallas, Texas. His father, Paul, started working for the New Orleans Hornets. Phil then played for the Episcopal School of Dallas for his junior and senior years. During his time there, the team won two state championships in 2009 and 2010.

Pressey in 2009

Phil decided to play college basketball for Missouri on September 13, 2009. His father had played with Missouri's head coach, Mike Anderson. Coach Anderson had known Phil since he was a baby and was like an "Uncle Mike" to the family. Phil's older brother, Matt, also decided to play for Missouri in 2010.

As a senior, Phil was named an All-state player in Texas. He was also on the Dallas Morning News first team All-area. In the 2010 state championship game, Phil scored 32 points and had 9 assists. Videos of him dunking in high school became very popular online. One video shows him dunking over a player who was almost a foot taller than him! Because he was not very tall, people often compared him to another famous short basketball player from Dallas, Spud Webb.

College Basketball Career

Freshman Year (2010-2011)

On December 18, 2010, Phil had 11 assists and 15 points in a game. This tied a record for the most assists by a freshman at Missouri. Later, he broke his right index finger. He missed four games but returned in January 2011.

In March 2011, Phil made 6 steals in a game. This set a new record for Missouri in a postseason game. He started 12 games in his freshman year. He set several freshman records for Missouri, including average steals (2.0) and average assists (3.9).

Sophomore Year (2011-2012)

In January 2012, Phil had 18 points and 10 assists in a game. This was his second "double-double" (getting double-digits in two stats). During his sophomore year, he had 12 assists in a game four times.

Phil broke school records for total assists (223) and average assists (6.4) in a single season. He was chosen for the All-Big 12 team. He was also a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, which goes to the best point guard in college basketball.

Junior Year (2012-2013)

Phil became a captain of the Missouri team in his junior year. Many sports experts thought he was one of the best players in the country. He was a top pick for preseason All-American teams.

In December 2012, Phil had 11 assists and 12 points in a game, which was another double-double. A few days later, he had 19 assists and 19 points against UCLA. His 19 assists tied the Southeastern Conference record for most assists in a single game.

On January 5, Phil scored a career-high 26 points. This earned him the SEC Player of the Week award. He continued to play well, setting new records for assists and steals at Missouri. He was named to the All-SEC First Team. Phil also earned an honorable mention as an All-American. He led the SEC in assists, averaging 7.1 assists per game.

Professional Basketball Career

NBA Draft and Boston Celtics (2013–2015)

On April 10, 2013, Phil announced he would not play his senior year at Missouri. Instead, he decided to enter the 2013 NBA draft. Even though he averaged 11.9 points and 7.1 assists, his play was sometimes inconsistent. He also had many turnovers.

Phil was not chosen in the 2013 NBA draft. However, he signed with the Boston Celtics to play in the 2013 Summer League. He was already familiar with the Celtics, as his AAU team had practiced at their facility. His good play in the Summer League led to him signing a contract with the Celtics on July 22, 2013.

Phil made his NBA debut on October 30, 2013. He did not play in the next few games. But after the Celtics started 0-4, the coach changed the lineup. On November 6, Phil recorded his first assists, steal, and field goal. On January 15, 2014, Phil started his first NBA game and had 10 assists with no turnovers. On January 22, he scored a career-high 20 points. He also had a "double-double" with 12 points and 11 assists on April 5. He matched his career high with 13 assists on April 11 and 12.

In July 2014, Phil played for the Celtics again in the Summer League. His performance helped him keep a spot on the team for the 2014-15 season. On February 5, 2015, he was sent to the Maine Red Claws in the NBA Development League, but was called back the next day. The Celtics waived him on July 15, 2015.

Philadelphia 76ers (2015)

On July 24, 2015, Phil signed with the Portland Trail Blazers, but they waived him before the season started. He was then briefly claimed by the Utah Jazz. On November 1, he joined the Idaho Stampede in the NBA Development League. However, three days later, he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers because they had many injured players. He played 14 games for the 76ers before being waived on December 4.

Idaho Stampede and Phoenix Suns (2015–2016)

Pressey with the Idaho Stampede in 2016

On December 7, 2015, Phil rejoined the Idaho Stampede. He scored a season-high 21 points twice and had three double-doubles. He also had 13 assists in a game on February 8, 2016.

On February 20, 2016, Phil signed a 10-day contract with the Phoenix Suns. He played his first game for the Suns the next day. He had 6 points, 5 assists, and 3 blocks. He was the first NBA player shorter than 6 feet to record three blocks in a game since 2013. He also had a 10-assist game the next day. He signed a second 10-day contract but then left the Suns and returned to Idaho.

Golden State Warriors and Santa Cruz Warriors (2016–2017)

On September 16, 2016, Phil signed with the Golden State Warriors. However, they waived him on October 20. On October 31, he joined the Santa Cruz Warriors, which is Golden State's D-League team.

FC Barcelona (2017–2018)

On July 27, 2017, Phil signed a one-year deal with FC Barcelona Lassa in Spain. Barcelona won the 2018 Copa del Rey de Baloncesto, a major Spanish cup, though Phil did not play in the final.

Besiktas (2018–2019)

He signed with Beşiktaş in Turkey on September 11, 2018.

Movistar Estudiantes (2019–2020)

On August 11, 2019, Phil signed with the Spanish club Movistar Estudiantes. He averaged 7.9 points and 4.6 assists per game for them.

EWE Baskets (2020–2022)

On July 21, 2020, Phil signed with EWE Baskets Oldenburg in Germany. He averaged 9.1 points, 4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He signed with the team again on July 7, 2021.

Coaching Career

On June 24, 2022, Phil signed with the Missouri Tigers men's basketball team as an assistant coach.

On June 19, 2023, he was hired by the Boston Celtics as an assistant coach.

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 college basketball All-American and an NBA player. Phil played with his older brother Matt for two years at Missouri. His older sister, Angie, was an All-American volleyball player. Phil used to wear cornrows in his hair when he played high school basketball. He was also childhood friends and AAU teammates with Alex Oriakhi, who later joined him at Missouri.

See also

In Spanish: Phil Pressey para niños