Gary Payton II shares optimism about his health & Warriors’ future, narrates Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Michael Jordan stories (Exclusive)
By opting into his $9.1 million player option, Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II conveyed optimism on numerous fronts.
That he just needs one more season to prove that he can finally remain healthy after missing 38 regular-season games last season and the Play-In tournament amid various injuries. That he can help the Warriors become an elite defensive team with his positional versatility and energy.
That the Warriors can remain a viable contender despite losing Klay Thompson and missing out on Paul George and Lauri Markkanen because they still have the NBA’s best shooter (Stephen Curry), an elite defender (Draymond Green) and an accomplished coach (Steve Kerr).
“I believe in myself,” Payton told Sportskeeda. “I believe in the team. I know what Steve likes, and I know what these guys like over here. That gives me that much more confidence to say, ‘Forget it,’ and come back. We’ll figure it out, have a good year and let the chips fall where they may.”
Payton spoke to Sportskeeda following the Warriors’ first day of training camp in Laie, Hawaii, about numerous topics. Payton detailed his offseason efforts to become more durable, how he will handle an uncertain future and his defensive approach. Payton also provided details on his foundation’s efforts to address dyslexia and shared amusing stories involving Curry, Green, his father (Gary Payton) and Michael Jordan.
Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed.
I know you’ve only been there for one day. So what have the highlights been so far in Hawaii?
Payton II: “The highlight in Hawaii is getting here and seeing all the locals. They’re all excited for us to be here. We’re excited to be here to get the season going. It’s just positive, good energy all around. So we’re just trying to get here, get after it and prepare for when we play.”
What’s on the agenda for any team-building stuff in Hawaii?
Payton II: “We had a yoga session with everybody in the morning. That was good. Then we got in the water in the beach a little bit after just to cool off. We had breakfast after. It was nice bonding. I feel like the whole week, there’s going to be something like that.”
What’s your outlook on what this trip will do for the team?
Payton II: “Hopefully it will get us off to a good start and that we have a good camp. We can really show what we’ve been working on in camp and then have a preseason game and go from there. We’ll continue to gain from every preseason and get better and get comfortable with everybody, with all the new pieces and new coaches. We’ll get everything together.”
I saw in your media day interview that you made it clear that you’re fully healthy and you worked on getting bigger, faster and stronger. But can you give a peek behind the curtain on what that looked like day-to-day?
Payton II: “It was everyday work getting in the gym, taking care of my body and getting the right treatment that I need after I work out. I try to prevent from getting little weird and random things happening. I’ve been eating better with my diet and just conditioning. It’s just staying prepared.”
What’s the diet?
Payton II: “Nothing’s really changed. It’s just cleaner. I’m trying to clean up my food and what I eat. Less fried foods, and I try to build with protein and carbs. I’m continuing to build my body and help my body so it can withstand a long season.”
What drills were part of your offseason regimen?
Payton II: “I was working on my game with what I do in our offense with setting screens, getting corner 3s and moving above the break and practicing 3s and mid restricted area finishes. After that, it was conditioning work. With Klay gone, a lot of people have to step up. So I’m sure a lot of minutes will be going up. I’m getting ready to fill that last spot that Klay left us with having.”
How have you prepared for that?
Payton II: “I think it’s a multiple-guy job. We have a lot of new pieces that can be interchangeable. Whatever we need at the time. If one guy comes out, next one comes in ready to go and gives it all that he’s got. I know Steve is going to mix it up. We have so many talented pieces. So it’s going to be interesting.”
I understand it’s a committee thing because of who Klay is. But for you individual, what things beyond the corner 3s are you trying to add to your game?
Payton II: Klay is a one-of-a kind type of player. What he does, it can’t really be replicated. With me, I’m tuning up my pieces and skills. You never know. We might need somebody to bring up the ball. If I get it, I can probably just push it. So just push it, distribute it and try to get guys open and get it out and move in .5 basketball (that entails either shooting, driving or passing within a half second of catching the ball).
"You got to know your teammates really well. Throughout my career, I’ve had enough reps at a lot of different positions. Now I’m on the biggest stage. So it becomes easier working with guys that understand the game and know it. It just makes my job easier. I get a small touch or something on Wardell’s guy, and he has enough space. If not, he hits me in the pocket. I’ll make plays from there. Really, whatever the team needs. That’s the best way I can stay on the floor. I try to adjust and make that happen.”
Give how competitive you are, to what extent did you wrestle with the ‘what-ifs’ last season with having various injuries and missing the Play-in game against Sacramento?
Payton II: “That last year, it sucked. I tried to fight and get out there and play. But they sat me down. I can’t really dwell on it. I tried to learn from last season with all the crazy hiccups. I tried to bulletproof my body with getting bigger, faster and stronger. That’s the way to bulletproof it. So I feel great and ready to go.”
What do you lean on to stay resilient through those tough times?
Payton II: “I’ve been through worse things than injuries in my career. So when an injury comes, I don’t quite dwell on it as long as it’s not permanent. If anything happens, I just get straight to rehab and I get after it. I can rehab it and get after it as best as I can. I make sure I can prevent it from happening.”
Steve said that you’re one of the most impactful defenders in the league. What do you think is unique about your approach and mentality that makes you one of those impactful defenders?
Payton II: “Just try to make a difference. Try to do what I can for my teammates to get multiple possessions. I try to cause havoc. I try to make defense fun again. I try to help my teammates in any way that I can. Whether that’s playing defense, coming to a big to set a screen or anything, I just do what I can.”
Which defensive matchups do you think you excelled in the most?
Payton II: “There’s not a best performance. Every night, you have to come out and make a difference and try to disrupt. How I think about it is whatever matchup that I have for that night, I just try to make sure that guy doesn’t hit his average. If that guy doesn’t hit his average or has a slower game than usual, we’re probably going to put ourselves in the best position to win that game.
"But matchup wise, there are a lot of different matchups from guards to bigs to small forwards to power forwards that I can match up on. I can probably go through every category. One isn’t more difficult. They’re all fun. Every matchup is different. Every guy is different. Their play is different. Their pace is different. For me, knowing him and what he likes to do and trying to slow him down, make him do things that he’s uncomfortable with doing.”
In your exit meeting, you said that the group needs to come out with a defensive mindset early. Steve and Mike (Dunleavy Jr., Warriors GM) also talked about improving in transition defense and becoming a top-five defensive team overall. What will it take to reach that?
Payton II: “Absolutely. I agree with Steve and Mike, for sure. Transition defense is an offense. We slipped the last couple of years. I believe the year we won it we were top 10 in both. Any team that is in a run for a championship is top 10 in both. So I think if we get back to being elite in those categories, we put ourselves in the best chance toward the end of the season to make a run.”
This past offseason, what were the variables in play that influenced your decision to exercise your player option to stay in Golden State?
Payton II: “You know where my heart is. If it can work, you already know I’m going to try my best to stay where I am. It’s a business, and things happen. But for the summer, I was locked in. I planned on coming back. I didn’t have a healthy year last year. So just come back and prove to them again that I’m here to stay and that I’ll be available to help this team and move forward and grow.”
Fair to say you’re basically betting on yourself for next offseason?
Payton II: “Absolutely. I’ve been betting on myself for some time now, so why change?”
How do you approach that given there is so much fluidity with the NBA landscape, and with the Warriors?
Payton II: “I treat it like I’m back in the G League and overseas is not an option to me. I don’t have another option. I put everything in this summer. I stayed at home all summer and got my body right. I did all of that. I believe in myself. I believe in the team. I know what Steve likes, and I know what these guys like over here. That gives me that much more confidence to say, ‘Forget it,’ and come back. We’ll figure it out, have a good year and let the chips fall where they may.”
I’m sure you’re aware the Warriors aren’t ranked high given how stacked the West is and the team’s recent changes. But with Steph, Draymond, the rest of the roster and Steve, what gives you the confidence that is enough to make a run?
Payton II: “It’s those three names that you said right there. Those three names are all the confidence I need in the rest of the pieces we got. I believe in these guys. I believe in us. I trust the core. I trust the staff. Every season, you’re going to have your ups and downs and you have to expect the unexpected. But we’ll handle whatever comes in front of us.
"But right now, we’re looking good and feeling good. We’re ready to start this off. We know this is a tough West this year. But that’ll just make it more fun to go out and compete every night and put ourselves in a position to win games. We have a nice core group and young group to make that happen.”
What’s your favorite Steph story?
Payton II: “There’s a lot. My favorite one recently is we got on a plane to Hawaii. My little three-year-old nephew is a Steph Curry fanatic. He’s a huge fan of Steph. He was waiting for Steph. He kept saying, ‘Curry! Curry!’ on the plane. As soon as he saw him, he literally ran up to him in the middle of the aisle and started doing the ‘Curry shimmy.’ Him and Steph had a moment. It was just him and Steph shimmying. Jacoby Childs is my nephew’s name – Jacoby Deuce. Any time that Jacoby gets to see him and have an interaction is probably my favorite.”
Love it. How about Draymond?
Payton II: “Too many of Draymond’s, too. My favorite one with Draymond is before I made the team [in 2021], they were about to cut me. I had a 10-day [contract]. At the end of my 10-day, I was saying bye to everybody. I get to Draymond, and I tell him, ‘I appreciate you for everything.’ And he was like, ‘Where are you going?’ I was like, ‘This is the end of my 10-day.’ He said, ‘Don’t worry. You’ll be in practice tomorrow.’ Next thing you know I get another 10-day. So shoutout to No. 23 and just having that confidence from one of the main guys and franchise guys.”
So he pulled some strings?
Payton II: “I don’t know if he pulled some strings. But if he did, he was looking out for the team. That one right there gave me the confidence leading into that year. You know you got the confidence in your leaders So that one stands out to me the most.”
How about your Pops?
Payton II: “Favorite memory of Pops is an old Seattle memory. They’re battling in the playoffs in ’96. That whole playoff run, I was 10 or 11. It stood out. I was meeting guys on the other team. I was going early to games. That environment in Seattle at the time, there was just nothing like it.”
Did you meet MJ during that time?
Payton II: “Absolutely. I had an all-access pass to the arena. I was in the visitor team’s locker rooms. I got a couple Allen Iverson sleeves. Key Arena was my own little playground. There were countless interactions. I used to go to Mike’s summer basketball camp down in Santa Barbara. Me and Mike knew each other well. Those interactions as a kid probably led to me trying to do this impossible mission that I had a few years ago to try to stick it out and make something happen. All of the interactions with those great players gave me the fuel to keep going.”
You had a fundraiser over the summer that raised money to help causes with dyslexia. What impact has that made?
Payton II: “With the GPII foundation, it’s just to shed light on kids with dyslexia and to also shed light on teachers, students and parents to make them more aware for them to get an evaluation for dyslexia. There’s around $8,000 to $10,000 to get that done. We’re finding ways to raise money to help communities get those tests for those kids, so they don’t have to grow up confused or not understanding why they’re not learning at the rate of the rest of their classmates and peers. Just continue to shed light as much as I can get with talking about it and raising money for it.”
Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.