“I’m gonna make the decision right now to guarantee Gary Payton II”: Warriors head coach Steve Kerr announces new deal for GP2 in hilarious pre-match press conference

Joe Viju | 07/01/2022
“I’m gonna make the decision right now to guarantee Gary Payton II": Warriors head coach Steve Kerr announces new deal for GP2 in hilarious pre-match press conference

Defensive guard Gary Payton II has been nothing short of a revelation for the Golden State Warriors this season.

Gary Payton II is playing some of the best basketball of his career after bursting on the scene with the Golden State Warriors. However, life wasn’t always easy for the 29-year-old.

The undersized guard bounced around the NBA quite a bit in the past several years playing with five separate franchises and spending most of his time in the G League. In fact, Gary Payton II very nearly entered the 2021-22 NBA season without a job.

The Warriors waived Payton at the end of the preseason, only to announce they signed him to a partially guaranteed contract to fill their 15th and final roster spot.

When he inked the deal, he was not expected to see the court much and was seen as a player who would be used in garbage time. However, with the squad constantly hit with injuries and safety protocols, it allowed GP2 to get some playing time. And oh boy, did he impress!

His displays on the court made him a bit of a fan favourite. In fact, they were crying for his contract to be guaranteed for the rest of the year.

In a recent pre-game interview, head coach Steve Kerr did exactly that, and he did so in his humorous fashion. Read on to find how…

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Steve Kerr announces a new deal for Gary Payton II in pre-match press conference.

While Gary Payton II may have not the greatest counting stats, his impact on the court is widely recognized. In fact, Stephen Curry even called him the ‘tallest 6’3 guy’ in the world.

The 29-year-old is averaging 7.9 points and 3.7 assists per game this season, in just 16.9 minutes per night. In fact, his plus-minus indicates that the Warriors are a much better team when he is on the court.

His impressive displays had fans calling for the front office to guarantee his contract with the Dubs. It seems like they heard the fan’s pleas and did just that. In fact, Steve Kerr announced the new deal in a recent interview –

“I’m going to make that decision right now. Sorry, Bob [Myers]. We’re going to guarantee him the rest of the year.”

While it looks like Kerr ignored the chain of command here, one can be pretty certain that GM Bob Myers wouldn’t mind it this one time. After all, it was eventually supposed to happen anyway. The sooner, the better.

With Klay Thompson expected to return soon, GP2’s minutes will see a reduction. However, he could be an 11th or 12th man who comes into games solely when Kerr needs a defensive stop in crunch situations.

In conclusion, Gary Payton II is exactly what the Warriors need.

Also Read: “Michael Jordan came up in the era where everybody hated each other, while LeBron James dominated an era of his little bros”: Al Harrington gives his take on the GOAT debate

 

 

 

 

 

Post Edited By: Joe Viju
Basektball Gary Payton II Golden State Warriors NBA Steve Kerr

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