PlayOffs NBA 2022: Gary Payton II, the perfect ‘anti-hero’: the son of the legend who wanted to leave him now flies like this

De the first weeks of post-season in the NBA it can be extracted that the Golden State Warriors are being one of the closest teams to being a perfect machine. Scoring rhythm, distribution of the ball and intensity in the two baskets are non-negotiable signs of identity in the Bahia franchise. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and party guest Jordan Poole have all played six high-profile playoff games, and they seem destined to dream of the ring. Them, a ‘perfect anti-hero’ has joined. Gary Payton II (1992), a player that no one expected there.

Because Payton II was anything but a breakout candidate. Son of a legend, Gary Payton. The one that was the basis of the Seattle Supersonics is regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time and alongside Shawn Kemp starred in legend eliminators. Like the one I measured against Jordan’s Bulls in the 1996 course.

Your son was never destined for such heights. Cut by four teams in a six-year NBA career. And with a complicated personal history, since he was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was eight years old. “Just because you learn differently doesn’t mean you don’t learn. You have to fight it.”. When you know your way of doing it, you will have everything clearer,” said the basketball player about the disease.

A position that predicted a bad future for him in the NBA. He entered 2021-22 as a candidate to be cut by the Warriors and fought for the last spot in the rotation. As being left out was expected, he came to formalize the request to become part of the coaching staff of the Bay team. That is, retire to occupy another position. “I was dead. If they had cut me off I would have worked there. I wanted to continue in the sport, I will be able to help,” he told ‘ESPN’.

Fortunately for him, Steve Kerr, a coach at the San Francisco franchise, had other plans. And those plans went through an immediate impact on the game. On defense, mostly. Thus, he reached the Playoffs and that status of ‘prey dog’ in his own basket has added a great success from the triple. Against the Nuggets, fundamental.

And it will be before Memphis, because from the first game he can be paired with Ja Morant. For now, in ‘Game 1’ he left a mate to remember against DesMond Bane. What changes the story. “He’s one of us. He’s found a home here,” Kerr says of Payton II. Now his story is written by him: neither his father, nor illnesses nor retirement.