Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II has been privileged to play with key figures from the greatest dynasty of this millennium.
While they may not be at their very peak, the Warriors remain a threat during the 2024-25 season with Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Steve Kerr being key figures of the organization. Curry remains the team’s top-leading scorer (24.1 points per game) as he nears the age of 37 in his 16th season while Green is still an integral part of the Warriors, averaging the third-most minutes of any player on the squad.
Curry, Green and Kerr have all won four championships with the Warriors while leading the team to six total Finals appearances. While Payton wasn’t there for the first three championships, he was there for the team’s most recent one during the 2021-22 season, playing a key role while scoring 15 points, grabbing five rebounds and posting three steals in the team’s Game 5 win over the Boston Celtics.
“They know the game,” says Payton II in a one-on-one interview on behalf of his investment in SUPLMNT. “They’ve been in every situation possible with the game. I’ve just been learning, picking from their brains each and every day, just sitting through film and watching those three guys figure out certain coverage adjustments. It’s three Hall of Famers, three G.O.A.T.S. through multiple generations and decades.”
The 32-year-old Payton isn’t much younger than Curry (he’ll be 37 this month) and the 35-year-old Green, but he didn’t enter the league until 2016. Meanwhile, Curry has been in the league since 2009 and Green has been in the NBA since 2012, with both obviously winning championships and establishing their selves as stars prior to Payton II’s arrival in the league.
“It’s unbelievable,” says Payton II of playing with Curry and Green. “I used to watch these guys on TV, growing up. We used to go to some of the games in Oakland when Steph and Draymond started their run with Coach Kerr. Just to be a part of that and to continue to help bring championships, it’s mind-blowing, you know? It’s crazy.”
Payton II is actually technically in the midst of his second run with Golden State. After helping them win the 2022 NBA Finals, Payton II signed a free agent deal with the Portland Trail Blazers before he was traded back to the Warriors during the 2022-23 season. The 6-foot-2 guard says he would love to help Curry and Green win a “couple more” championships before they call it a career.
“I’m glad that everything worked out, came back here, continued to build with these guys,” says Payton II. “Hopefully send these guys off when they call it quits and add a couple more championships.”
The Warriors are playing better than they have all season long since trading for six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler in early February. Golden State is 9-2 and have lost just one game with Butler in the lineup since Feb. 8.
The Warriors are currently sixth in the Western Conference, with Payton II expressing one of the keys towards winning another championship is avoiding the play-in tournament. If Golden State can continue playing the way they have over the past month, they’ll get their wish and cement their spot in the playoffs without having to participate in the play-in as they did last season.
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