Gary Payton's Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech

welcome engage to the Hall of Fame our John Stockton and George Gervin ladies and gentlemen Gary Payton everybody got this piece of paper but they're gonna bring me up here with iPad I hope it don't go out first of all I want to thank these two guys George Gervin is basically my hero I grew up to him when I was in Oakland and I had all his posters on my wall cards everything I was sneaking to Oakland Coliseum and watch this man right here he's a dear friend of mine right now and I just want to appreciate thank you for even been here I've been getting a lot of slack for this guy here everybody's been asking me why he is the toughest person to guard other than my crew instead of Michael Jordan first of all it's my opinion so that's what it's going to go just a little short story about him he's the only guy when I got in the NBA and I wasn't as good as I thought I was going to be for the first two years I watched him and when I watched him he's a player that all kids watch right now I might have been more athletic than he was but he did it the same way every night every night for a guy for him to only play 32 minutes come in and shoot the ball 12 times makes nine or ten of them shots shoot eight free throws and make seven of them and then have 15 assists and 4 steals that's the reason why he's the hardest person I ever had to guard and that's why I respect him very much first I want to just thank God if it wasn't for God I wouldn't be here at this moment to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame thank you for this honor I am so excited to be here and be a member of the class of 2013 I give my love to the fans all across the world who have supported me up to this very day my family played a big part in my success and so many of them are here today this moment wouldn't be completed if I didn't recognize them they sacrificed a lot for me to get here to my moms and pops Andy and Alfred Payton thank you and I love you I'm more proud of you that you could ever be proud of me to my brothers and sisters grave Sharon winnette and Alfred basically we call Alfred Pookie so we all got one of them in our family you've always looked out for me and protected me and you've never hesitated to check me when I was out of line George you don't know before I knew you was Iceman I had a brother could make nice man he was pretty good and great by the way if anyone here wants to know where I get my personality just stop one of my siblings in the lobby and it will become very clear why you know yeah area I want to thank my kids Raquel Gary jr. Gary the second yeah I had a George Foreman moment yeah and my baby boy Julian I love you and I'm a better man by having this blessing of being your father thank you for the laughter you bring and and for standing tall in the paid name you all make me so happy and proud I love you all to my lovely miss Monique Paton supermom my former ex-wife my best friend and my greatest supporter a mountain of gratitude will never be enough to match what you have given me you've been there when I wasn't the person I should have been and still stay beside me you know we'll love you always over the years you really saw me without this group of guys I wanted to I want to knowledge them X they are my best friends who have taken this step on this journey with me I have Marty Trevor Milton Danny Troy Mike my cousin Glen my nephew's Eric and by the way my cousin Glen gave me the name the glove in 1993 so as you know if the glove credit him it give him all the money in the trademarks it's on him my gut my buddy Darnell see farm and last but not least the newest head coach of the different nuggets my brother Brian Shaw speaking of head coaches and friends my little brother Jason Kia flew in and surprised me I appreciate appreciate you for being here and I'm proud of you I know you do well but you know what when the dudes are when the Brooklyn Nets come to LA you better pay for dinner and it's on you and the nets I dedicate this night to the memory of my late car my late college coach Ralph Miller coach I'm honored to be joining you in the hall to my coach Jimmy Anderson you're recruiting me to Oregon State and became my head coach after Ralph retired you and Fifi are wonderful thank you to my high school coach Fred Nolan who changed my life and my supersonic coaches George called and Tim gergich thank you very much if it wasn't for Tim Greg rich changing me in 1993 taking me out and going back to the days that I played at Oregon State and making me become this person I am and having right being here right now I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you coach thank you very much to my trainer our calling Big Daddy his name is Frank Furtado the best trainer ever I had you kept me intact and I had some bad days physically and nobody knew but because of you it didn't show the Seattle and Washington the SuperSonics organization its fans and the best owners ever the acally family I love you and the best part of that you love me back thank you for my Sonic's teammates I share this honor with you especially the Rain Man Shawn Kemp y'all talking about that lob City over there and the Clippers we was the original Lob City to my brother brother who guided me through the SuperSonics Nate McMillan here with his wife Michelle thank you guys Thank You Mickey Eric Harrison Pat Raleigh and the Miami Heat organization you gave me the opportunity of a lifetime and our championships means the world to me Thank You coach very much to my agents earring and ear Gooden Goodwin they're my brothers they're everything to me and also Mary Ford and Michelle Chan thank you for your loyalty and for always having my back you are all greatly appreciated even you--use I got you to my friends Lin married and the entire fat Nike family especially the big balls filled night I gotta still keep getting checks I got to bring him in man I gotta bring him in there it's been a pleasure to present the on the triple represent the world's greatest brand as players we dream of this moment but we don't expect to be standing here but I really really liked my chances of being here it's amazing this is really happening for me to put that in perspective understand that I began playing on the playgrounds of Oakland California at the age of seven and it was a beautiful struggle plan for my father and getting tortured by him even when I was playing great overcoming obstacles in high school like night like not making grades and missing out playing my whole sophomore season at this moment I understand the reason for those hurdles and I appreciate the silver lining that followed like becoming an all-star all-american or may not go on Olympic gold medalist and a world champion and I don't forget I am the greatest trash talker of all time Reggie but you know what I can back it up a few things few things meant as much to me as my ability to play this game I bared my soul on the court I played hard because I wanted to win every time and sometimes I didn't come off so pretty I said things I know I can't repeat here plus I don't want the guys in the booth too much say they can't say it so it's good listen I really didn't mean any harm at least not badly I'm sure there are some coaches teammates opponents referees and probably management out there who might feel otherwise though it was all for my crazy love for the game and my lack of maturity to be able to express my passion any other way I don't regret the way I went about it and I am a strong man today as a result but I can't help but think I could have given more to the game that gave so much to me my career is pleading complete Gary Payton is evolving but GP is in the Hall of Fame thank you you

Channel: OfficialHoophall

Views: 933,234

Keywords: Gary Payton (Basketball Player), Speech, Basketball Hall of Fame, Enshrinement, Basketball, History, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame

Id: IuJRQ9pWjxk

Length: 12min 25sec (745 seconds)

Published: Mon Sep 09 2013

Reddit Comments

[u/MuffinChaser]

Payton also mentioned in interviews he just couldn't get anything out of Stockton when trying to trash talk him. John just went about his business and played without getting into the jawing on court someone like GP was infamous for.

[u/thisisbacontime]

John Stockton: Gary Payton was the toughest player to score on.

[u/Xsy]

Yeah, he's gone on to say this on other occasions as well.

[u/nowandlater]

Man, 90s NBA was glorious.

[u/Willenium]

Real recognize real

[u/Zomg_A_Chicken]

Not Black Jesus?

[u/siphillis]

Gary Payton also doesn't think Jordan is a Top Five player, so there's that.

[u/berzerknova]

A player with different utilities that he can use on the offense, who is also constantly getting screens and cutting is extremely hard to defend compared to a player who is known to shoot or drive most of the times when he has the ball in his hands.

[u/labrawnjimes]

Did Payton mean to say Nick Van Exel? Pretty sure he dropped 30+ on him every time they played.