Rumors

On his "Byron Scott's Fast Break" podcast, the Los Angeles Lakers legend claimed that while the 76ers look good on paper with James' addition, expectations must be tempered about Philly easily winning it all. Using the ill-fated 2003-04 Lakers as an example, Scott said the new-look 76ers with James are still not assured of claiming an NBA title. ‘I mean we can go all the way back to the early parts in the 2000s. You got Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Kobe Bryant, Shaq [O'Neal], and you still got [Derek Fisher], you know, you still got an unbelievable starting lineup. And on paper, everybody said, 'Oh, they going to win a championship.' What happened? They played Detroit Pistons, who was a team, much better team, a much better cohesive group of guys who wanted nothing more than to win. And you had friction on that Laker team with Gary Payton and some of the other guys. And then you had the Peacemaker Karl Malone. And then Karl got hurt which really killed their chances of winning the championship and Detroit went through them four games to one. Right? So talent on paper don’t mean a whole lot.’

BasketNews

Bryon Scott on LeBron James with 76ers: “I mean we can go all the way back to the early parts in the 2000s. You got Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Kobe Bryant, Shaq, and you still got D Fish, you know, you still got an unbelievable starting lineup. And on paper, everybody said, “Oh, they going to win a championship.” What happened? They played Detroit Pistons, who was a team, much better team, a much better cohesive group of guys who wanted nothing more than to win. And you had friction on that Laker team with Gary Payton and some of the other guys. And then you had the Peacemaker Karl Malone. And then Karl got hurt which really killed their chances of winning the championship and Detroit went through them four games to one. Right? So talent on paper don’t mean a whole lot. It means you got talent. That’s about all it means. It doesn’t mean or guarantee that you going to win the championship.”

Apple Podcasts

Heat Central: Davion Mitchell lists his all time starting 5: PG: Gary Payton SG: Kobe Bryant SF: LeBron James PF: Kevin Garnett C: Shaq (Via miamiheat TT) 🤔

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“I don't know, a lot of these guys are, they're just some players that that's going to fill in again,” said Gary Payton in a one-on-one interview about the Lakers. “Same thing with the Chicago Bulls (back in the 90s), you're building around Luka, that's what you're building around. Reaves is going to be your Scottie Pippen, so it's just like with us, with Seattle, it's me and Sean Kemp, it's Luka and Reeves. They're building around their guys, and they're trying to put people around these dudes that is going to do their job, get a rebound, make a big-time shot, and then let these guys be Batman and Robin.”

Clutch Points

The former NBA Finals MVP and five-time All-Star was shockingly traded to the Boston Celtics' division rival — and team that beat them in the playoffs — in a deal that featured multiple draft picks and Paul George going to the Celtics. Payton said the deal swings the shift in power to the Eastern Conference and makes the Sixers the top threat to the New York Knicks — who are the defending NBA Champs — for Eastern Conference supremacy. "Yes, that places them right there, especially with Tyrese Maxey," said Payton in a one-on-one interview on behalf of his new organic hemp rolling papers through the RAW brand. "We have to get him to be healthy. He's never been healthy, so you got to get him healthy. And then with that young guard that just came up, the one they just drafted last year, the rookie (V.J. Edgecombe) he is a very, very exciting basketball player. They have four players that can play, and in that East, all you need is to have four players to play. You've seen Philly, what they did this year in the playoffs, and they just ran out of steam. Now you add Jaylen Brown, who is going to be there, I think the whole season where he's going to play, it's going to make it a problem for a lot of people in the East, and that Philly team is going to be somebody to reckon with."

Action Network

The trade featuring Brown wasn't shocking considering the Celtics had made him the main piece in talks with the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo. What was shocking was the fact that they traded him to an Eastern Conference rival for no young pieces in return, instead acquiring a 36-year-old George on a salary that earns him over $50 million. "I think the relationship just got out of hand," said Payton of why the Celtics abruptly traded Brown to the Sixers. "I think it was what it was, a relationship that couldn't be fixed, as you've seen it. It kept going and going in the media, and that relationship can't be fixed. You cannot keep talking about trading somebody and doing things, and then all of a sudden you come back and he comes back to your team, it's not going to be a good relationship. I think they did the right move, they had to make the move and do the moves they made."

Action Network

"A lot of people are saying they didn't get enough, or whatever, but nowadays in this NBA, this is a business, they're trying to make their business become a better business, and without a lot of problems, and that's what they're doing," said Payton. "You're getting a lot of young kids now in these drafts that's coming up, so if you get four and five and six picks, you're gonna build around that, and that's what it is. You see how Oklahoma did it, they built around picks, you know what I'm saying, and they made a dynasty, they went out and got Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from the Clippers, and stuff like that. And then they built around him, and look what happened. They won a championship last year. They were hurt this year and they didn't go to the championship, but that's just the way things go.

Action Network

Marc J. Spears: Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer @GaryPayton had a street named after him in his hometown @Oakland today.

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Gary Payton unbothered by potential snags for NBA returning SuperSonics in expansion plan. “There’s a lot of talk. The government over there in Seattle is going to be fine. Seattle will be back with Las Vegas, so I’m not really worried about none of what they’re talking about. We’ll work it all out. There’s nothing that’s going to snag them. The ownership with Tod Leiweke and all them, we’re going to be fine. I’m just excited for them to get back. We should’ve never lost it but we’re gonna be back.”

Arizona Republic

Gary Payton on his difference between his and Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson's skill set. “He’s a scorer. I was both ends of the floor, playing defense, doing other things. In this era of basketball, you can get so much as a scorer because you get a lot of calls. You get a lot of ability to do it. In our era (1990s-2000s). I think we were a little bit more rougher. We would’ve trapped him a bit more and made it harder for him to get the basketball in his hands, and then when he got the ball, we wouldn’t have let him go one-on-one and get all the way into the paint and bump you and hit you. He’s too good for that when he gets you in the paint, that he’s going to score. He dribbles 20 times and nobody comes to help, leaving one man on the island. That’s crazy to me. … If they’re going to let him keep doing it, keep doing it.”

Arizona Republic

Gary Payton: On retiring after joining Shaquille O’Neal, Miami Heat to win 2006 NBA title. “I said, ‘I got about three or four more years left. Where would be a good place for me to go?’ I was going to call it a day. Then Shaq called me and said, ‘Hey, we got something down here. We only need someone like you to come guide us and we’ll win.’ Pat Riley came in and the (Heat) owner Micky Arison were like, ‘We’ve been wanting you for years. Come on in and guide us.’ When I went in and guided them, we struggled from the beginning, then Pat took over (as coach) and we started playing the way we were supposed to play, and then won the championship. It’s joyful holding up that Larry O’Brien Trophy and kiss it with champagne all over you. It was a great feeling and then I said, ‘Now it’s time for me to move aside,' and this is my legacy.'”

Arizona Republic

NBA Courtside: Gary Payton on LeBrons future: “There’s a good shot if he leaves, he’s going to Golden State. I’m telling you he’s coming to Golden State if he leaves” (Via @NightcapShow_)

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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