Gary Payton wants to join an NBA coaching staff, says he’s ready
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Hall of Fame guard Gary Payton didn’t think he was ready to be an NBA coach, but that has changed and he wants on a staff now he told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.» data-reactid=»17″>Hall of Fame guard Gary Payton didn’t think he was ready to be an NBA coach, but that has changed and he wants on a staff now he told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
“I have had conversations in the past about coaching, but the timing wasn’t right. I believe I now am ready to coach,” Payton told Yahoo Sports in a phone interview Thursday night. “A lot of young NBA players are a voice away from reaching their true potential. I would like to join an NBA staff where I can help coach, mentor and guide players toward the hard work, focus and determination needed to become a reliable contributor to a team’s success.”
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Payton has a wealth of basketball knowledge on both ends of the court. Known first and foremost for his lockdown, physical defense — hence his nickname “The Glove” (which became a thing with Michael Jordan during “The Last Dance”) — he averaged 16.3 points and 6.7 assists per game over the course of a 17-year NBA career. Payton has told NBC Sports he’s not sure he could have been the same defender in today’s game with no hand-checking or contact allowed on the perimeter, but the knowledge of what it takes to be an elite defender is still in him.» data-reactid=»24″>Payton has a wealth of basketball knowledge on both ends of the court. Known first and foremost for his lockdown, physical defense — hence his nickname “The Glove” (which became a thing with Michael Jordan during “The Last Dance”) — he averaged 16.3 points and 6.7 assists per game over the course of a 17-year NBA career. Payton has told NBC Sports he’s not sure he could have been the same defender in today’s game with no hand-checking or contact allowed on the perimeter, but the knowledge of what it takes to be an elite defender is still in him.
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Payton has said before he had a growing interest in coaching, but this time he seems serious. There must be a team or two that could use a Hall of Famer in a player development spot and start him on a coaching path.» data-reactid=»25″>Payton has said before he had a growing interest in coaching, but this time he seems serious. There must be a team or two that could use a Hall of Famer in a player development spot and start him on a coaching path.
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Gary Payton wants to join an NBA coaching staff, says he’s ready originally appeared on NBCSports.com» data-reactid=»26″>Gary Payton wants to join an NBA coaching staff, says he’s ready originally appeared on NBCSports.com