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Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II is the son of arguably the greatest perimeter defender of all time, Gary Payton.
The elder Payton was one of the most popular players of his generation, known for his lockdown defense and notorious trash-talking.
The 56-year-old Payton was a nine-time All-Star, nine-time All-NBA selection, nine-time All-Defensive First Team Selection and a Defensive Player of the Year during the same year he led the Seattle Supersonics to an NBA Finals appearance (1996). Payton eventually won his first NBA championship during his second-to-last season in the league with the Miami Heat in 2006.
Those are some lofty shoes to fill, but Payton II has had a solid career himself. The 32-year-old veteran guard won a championship with the Warriors during the 2021-22 season and still plays a key role in the team's rotation, averaging 5.7 points in 13.6 minutes per game on 56.4% shooting from the field.
With that being said, Payton II says the best advice that his dad ever gave him was “don't be like him.”
“Probably the best advice I got from Gary is ‘Don't be like him,'” says Payton II in a one-on-one interview on behalf of his investment in SUPLMNT. “He told me, growing up, he said, ‘Don't try to be like him. Don't try to be like me. Just be on the side of me. Once he said that, I understood what that meant. I created my own path, my own way.”
The younger Payton creating his own path was important, considering both of them had different backgrounds. The older Payton was always a highly regarded prospect, appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated during his senior season at Oregon State before being selected No. 2 overall by the Seattle Supersonics in 1990.
Warriors' Payton opens up about journey to the NBA
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Meanwhile, Payton II went undrafted and actually began his career in the G League before making his NBA debut.
“We had two different paths, growing up. He was a top player, top 100 player in the country,” says Payton II. “(He) came out No. 2 in the draft, he had his career and mine was the complete opposite. (I went) undrafted, I had to find my way, had to find my home in the league after a few years in the G-League.”
Although his father was known as the best trash talker of his generation, Payton II isn't quite in the same mold. While Payton II will trash talk when he needs to, you'll see him more often than not smiling on and off the court.
“I can trash talk when necessary,” says Payton II. “I think Gary just does it just to do it, just to talk to hear himself talk sometimes. He definitely gets under people's skin and a lot of people can't play and talk trash at the same time. He got a few guys deep there.”
His father's advice has obviously paid dividends as Payton II is now in his ninth year in the league and looking to help bring another championship to Golden State alongside Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Steve Kerr. Considering the Warriors have one of the best records in the NBA since Jimmy Butler's arrival in February, it's definitely a possibility this season.
