Rumors

Q: You spent time with Moses Malone before your first NBA game and, unlike other players who did not embrace you, he was always supportive. Were there any other players who supported you like that? LeBron James: The best guys that were in my corner when I first came out of the draft were J-Kidd, Moses Malone, Ken Griffey Jr., Gary Payton. Every time I saw them, it was just always love and support. There was no hating. Obviously I don't know what they did behind closed doors, but I can say that when I see them, still to this day -- except the late, great Moses -- it's been the same energy every single time. That meant a lot because I grew up watching Griff, wanting to be great like Griff in my respective sport. Watching GP and J-Kidd, watching those guys. Having respect for the legacy of the older guys, and Moses, of course I didn't watch him when I was a kid, but I knew what legends brought to the game. And it was probably a couple more guys, but I know those four guys were there if I needed to talk to them. If I needed to reach out to them, if I needed something, they were always respectful and were an open book. So that was pretty dope for me, being a kid from Akron.

ESPN

“I think he’s going to do one more year,” said Payton in a one-on-one interview with R.org. “I think LeBron — because I know about his ego — he has to really feel that he can’t play in this league anymore. I don’t think he feels that way. I think he feels he can still dominate. But what the things that he does with his body is a lot different because what he does with his body is he takes care of it. Once he starts feeling it, I don’t think he’s going to let himself go down. I don’t think he’ll let himself be looking like a fool or anything.”

r.org

“I think he’s got about one or two more years left in his body,” said Payton of James. “I don’t think he wants to move anywhere. People talking about where he’s going to end up. That’s not what LeBron is about right now. I think it’s about comfortability, about how his daughter — which is the only one still left in the house — and how his wife wants to be. I don’t think they want to be in the cold. I think they think they’re very comfortable in Los Angeles and that’s where they’re going to be. I think he’s going to stay here and try to work something out with the Lakers.”

r.org

“The city is a city where people say it rains all the time, but it’s a family city,” said Payton. "It’s all good. If you looked at every player that played in Seattle during the time, they were always saying, ‘Man, it’s a great city.’ They always want to come back there. It’s a hell of a city. I think that everybody just doesn’t understand that. Especially when summers comes, we got all the boats, we got all the fishing. We got everything. “It’s a city where you can go and walk down the walk down the downtown and go shopping and do things like that,” Payton continued. “A good tourist situation, good food, good eats. They got a lot of good things going on around there. People have to understand, you got to see our city to understand what it is. I’s not just a city of rain, it's a city of love.”

Forbes.com

“It was just one of the things that they wanted me to help out and get this team better, especially with Porter, who everybody knows had the trouble with with the NBA,” said Payton. "We’re just trying to revamp him and revamp this team, which is a good team. They’re a very good basketball team and especially with Porter – young kids make mistakes. I’m saying that everybody make mistakes. If we didn’t make mistakes, we’d be perfect, and then we can be in the Guinness Book of World Records. But we’re not, so that’s what it is. It's just that. “We’re just trying to help out here, and it’s a good thing for our city, especially with the Sonics coming back,” Payton continued. “This program is coming where it’s gonna be really great for us.”

Forbes.com

The Seattle SuperHawks are heading into their fourth season as a professional team that competes in a developmental league. Bringing more than 12 years of NBA assistant coaching experience and NBA playing experience is Robert Pack. Pack has been named head coach of the SuperHawks. The standout point guard delivered several memorable performances during his pro career as a player on several squads, including the Denver Nuggets and the Dallas Mavericks.

king5.com

Pack and former Seattle SuperSonics star point guard Gary Payton stopped by the KING 5 studios on Saturday to talk about their new coaching roles. Payton has gotten the nod to serve as an assistant coach for the SuperHawks. Both Pack and Payton said they are thrilled to help young athletes get their shot and make their dreams a reality. "The guys are practicing hard. You're going to see guys who didn't have the opportunity to be drafted," Pack said. "We're looking forward to a good start to the season."

king5.com

How many times have you watched Damian Lillard hit a defender with a dribble jab, create separation and hit a 3-pointer? That bar perfectly encapsulated his hip-hop and basketball skills. “Wasatch Front” was a defining moment for Lillard. “What’s Up Doc? (Can We Rock?)” was a defining moment for O’Neal. When we talk about hip-hop meshing with basketball players, those two provided the blueprint. The list is longer than some may assume. There was Cedric Ceballos in the early 1990s. Gary Payton, Chris Webber and Allen Iverson all dabbled in the genre. The late, great Kobe Bryant put out a memorable collaboration with R&B superstar Brian McKnight, “Hold Me,” in 1997.

New York Times

The Heat at Tuesday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks at Kaseya Center will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the franchise’s first championship, won in 2006. Expected in attendance for the night, which will offer a halftime presentation and other game elements of commemoration, are 2006 Heat champions Earl Barron, Michael Doleac, Udonis Haslem, Jason Kapono, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O’Neal, Gary Payton, Wayne Simien, Dwyane Wade, Antoine Walker, and Dorell Wright. Fellow Heat 2006 champions Jason Williams, James Posey, Derek Anderson and Shandon Anderson will not be in attendance.

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Nick DePaula: Stephen Curry arrived tonight in The Glove — honoring Oakland native Gary Payton and his iconic Nike signature shoe.

x.com

As part of its 10th anniversary celebration, vivo Philippines is bringing NBA Hall of Famer and 2006 Champion Gary Payton Sr., famously known as The Glove, to Manila for an exclusive meet-and-greet at the vivo Concept Store, SM Megamall, on Sept. 12, 2025 at 4 p.m.

Manila Times

The Golden State Warriors unveiled newly refurbished basketball courts at Mosswood Park in Oakland on Thursday, part of the team's continued investment in safe spaces for youth in the East Bay. The unveiling featured two NBA champions, Hall of Famer and Oakland native Gary Payton Sr, and Festus Ezeli, who helped cut the ribbon and lead a ceremonial tip-off with kids from the city’s Studio One Arts Center.

KTVU

"Many years ago, before you guys were even born, I was playing on this playground at probably your age or a little older," Payton told a group of children gathered at the court. He recalled how this very park shaped his game and his character. "Especially being here from Oakland, California - in my day it was really, really rough to come out here and try to play friendly," Payton said. "People would want to get you and things like that, but you had to have that gut and that toughness."

KTVU

Ishaan Bhattacharya: Gary Payton shares his take on Luka Doncic and his defensive evolution, "You have to be dedicated to playing defense. Maybe it’s not good for him; he’s a scorer. If he puts his mind to it... It’s a mindset to play defense... I don’t think Luka is a defensive player; he’s a scorer. But now. If he wants to, yes. But does he want to do it? That’s up to him, not up to us. He’s an athlete. He’s got great ability, but now does he want to go change it and prove people wrong that he can play defense? If that was me, I would change that. I'll go out there and try to defend somebody, get in shape, and do the things I gotta do."

x.com