Gary Payton II became a fan-favorite not just because of he came up big in the playoffs to help the Warriors win their fourth title in eight years.
SAN FRANCISCO — Friday will mark the official end of a chapter for Gary Payton II.
A key rotation player on last season’s championship team, Payton will return to Chase Center with his new team, the Portland Trail Blazers, and be presented with his championship ring during a pre-game ceremony.
That moment will be the only one Payton spends on the court Friday night. Payton had surgery in September to repair a core muscle injury and has yet to play a game for Portland, which signed him to a three-year, $28-million free-agent deal in July.Payton became a Warriors fan favorite last season not merely because of his clutch play, but because of his story. He was kicked around the NBA and G League like a tin can for over five years.
Payton figured it was about to happen again last April. With his 10-day deal expiring the next day, Payton approached Green to thank him for his support and kindness.“I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?… I don’t quite think it’s gonna be the last day of your 10 day. You’re helping us win games and that can help us in the long run.’”Payton wanted to return to the Warriors this season, but he’d earned a payday too big for the Warriors’ taste.
“GP did what he had to do to make a career that he can be proud of and you got to be proud of him for that.”“You just got to stay committed to your process and understand that it’s not going to happen overnight,” Green said. “Even the guys that it looked like it happened overnight, it didn’t. There was so much work that went on behind the scenes to get to that point.”
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