Gary Payton and GP2 Become 5th Father-Son Duo to Win NBA Title
For Gary Payton Sr, a championship to his name is no surprise and is well fitting. Payton’s career accolades resemble what one of a champion could be. Now for his son, Gary Payton II, it’s the complete opposite. After going undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft and eventually being cut from six teams and multiple stents in the G-League, it seemed as if a path to a legitimate NBA career would never appear.
Eight months later after the Warriors decided to add him on as the 15th man on the roster over vet point guard Averly Bradley, he’s an NBA Champion, just like his dad. After Gary Payton II won the title with Golden State this week, the Payton’s became the fifth father-son duo to win an NBA title in their careers.
At Game 6 in Boston, The Glove was right by his son to celebrate the special moment of winning a championship.
What makes this an even more unique title win for GP2 and The Glove is the way that both have created the narrative around their style of play– defensive dogs. To further push what makes this title win for GP2 so special is that he was thought to have been out for the season after the fractured elbow in the Western Conference Semis.
It’s miraculous how fast he was able to recover from the injury. In some ways you have to wonder, does Golden State still win the title without Payton? His tenacity on defense was reminiscent of his dad. In a 6’3”-6’4” height range, both of them were able to defend practically any position. Most commonly as well, their assignment on defense would always be the best player on the other team.
Nine times out of 10, both The Glove and GP2 were putting on defensive clinics night in and night out.
Throughout the season and throughout the playoff run, we saw Gary Payton Sr. at many Warriors games rooting for his young buck.
Just as if it was a young teenager in high school after their games, both would ride home together after many of the games.
“When we win, it’s pretty much quiet,” GP2 said. “When we lose, you know, he’s just shaking his head. Has that same look that he always has on his face. But I know he’s still passionate about the game and he still wants what’s best for me in a team. I know he still feels some type of way when we don’t come up with the win.”
The competitive fire will forever run through a family like the Payton’s. And even while the Payton father-son duo are tied at one title a piece, GP2 knew exactly of a way to find the bragging rights in the family.
(Photo credit: National Basketball Association)