Getty Gary Payton II celebrates the Golden State Warriors' championship victory over the Boston Celtics.
Ex-Golden State Warriors guard, certified fan-favorite and 2022 NBA champion Gary Payton II was back at Chase Center on Friday. And while his old fans didn’t get to revel in his usual on-court chaos, they undoubtedly felt the soft and fuzzies nonetheless as he received his championship ring.
Flash-forward to Monday and, for the very first time since the Warriors clinched said title in Game 6 of the Finals against the Celtics, the energetic Payton was actually doing his thing on the hardwood again.
After an overlong recovery process following offseason abdominal surgery, Payton finally made his much-anticipated debut for the Portland Trail Blazers, who were hosting the Detroit Pistons at Moda Center. Along the way, he dropped the kind of line Dub Nation really came to appreciate last season.
In 13 minutes of action, the 30-year-old scored seven points on 3-of-4 shooting, making his lone three-point attempt and adding four assists, two boards and a steal while meshing almost seamlessly with his teammates. When all was said and done, though, he was just happy to be done with the waiting.
Gary Payton II Moves on From ‘Frustrating’ Situation
In the wake of his procedure, the thought was that Payton — who signed a three-year, $26.1 million deal that proved too rich for Golden State’s pockets over the summer — would be ready on (or at least close to) opening night. That’s not how things played out, though, and the delay irked the baller more and more as time went on.
“Frustrating. Frustrating. Period. Just frustration. I was just tired of watching all my guys out there, and the only way I can play and help is by [going] out there and just playing,” Payton said postgame. “So, I think that was the biggest part of the frustration is just I can’t be out there at that moment, you know, just to help my team.”
He may be only one game into his run with Dame Lillard and Co., but it’s already apparent that helping his team isn’t going to be a problem for Payton. And he’s excited to see what that means as the final half of the season plays itself out.
“Now that I’m here, we had a hell of a game. Especially in the second half. We were just flying everywhere, and I just think that energy is contagious and got everybody going.”
Payton Never Wanted to Leave the Warriors
After a horrendous start to the campaign, the Warriors bench is finally starting to come around behind Donte DiVincenzo and Draymond Green, who has been splitting his time between the first and second units. Regardless, players and fans alike continue to pine for GPII.
Meanwhile, if it had been totally up to Payton, he’d probably still be in the Bay right now. After a years-long struggle just to find a spot in the league, though, finances and long-term security had to win out.
“I had to take the money… It didn’t work out,” Payton told former coach George Karl in August. “I would love to go back to Golden State, but it didn’t work out. Just the timing and everything. Just a business deal, and I just had to take the money.”