Gary Payton lands college basketball coaching job
09/07/2024 10:27 PM
Basketball Hall-of-Famer Gary Payton Sr. found his second collegiate basketball coaching job on Saturday. He will be the men’s basketball head coach at the College of Alameda in Alameda, California, according to ESPN. Payton will make his debut after being the head coach at the NAIA school, Lincoln University in Oakland, California for the past three seasons.
College of Alameda athletic director Ramaundo Vaughn talked about why Payton is the right fit for his program.
“Gary Payton is the right choice for the College Of Alameda for a number of reasons,” Vaughn said. “Gary has always been a leader and winner. We know that Coach Payton will hold our athletes accountable on the court, in the classroom, and in the community.
“During the interview process, he spoke about having our student-athletes in the community, giving back. The energy and passion that he brings along with his genuine love for the East Bay is unmatched. The opportunity for our players to learn from one of the all-time NBA greats and an Olympic gold medalist is one that we knew we could not afford to pass up.”
What can NBA Hall-of-Famer Gary Payton bring to the College of Alameda?
Payton has more head coaching experience than one might think. When Ice Cube’s basketball league, the Big 3 formed, Payton became the head coach of the 3 Headed Monsters. He then coached another team, Bivouac for the 2023 season.
Payton has a resume unlike any other player in his position. The former Seattle Supersonics point guard garnered his nickname “The Glove” for a reason. He ended up as the first-ever point guard to win Defensive Player of the Year in 1996. His defensive tenacity and aggressive style led him to be a menace on the court.
Stories of Payton’s trash talk circulate all around the NBA. Former teammates Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal know what it’s like. People within the Big 3 know how Payton can start chirping. Even Payton’s own son knows all about his father’s trash talk.
Uncensored all-access footage showing how heated BIG3 games get with Gary Payton talking trash and coaching his team to a victory! pic.twitter.com/eisOvb0I9w
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) July 30, 2024
Still, it’s much more than Payton’s competitiveness that stands out as a coach. His IQ, pace of play and ability to break down a defense were mesmerizing, Even Hall-of-Famer Kevin Garnett mentioned a story on the All The Smoke podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson about Payton controlling the entire game.
As Garnett mentioned, Payton trash-talked to get advantages for his team. Although Payton might not be able to talk trash as much as head coach, he can still influence the game. He knows how to manipulate calls, run an offense and play a role effectively, something that the players of the College of Alameda would benefit from tremendously.
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