The NBA is a close-knit circle of 450 to 500 athletes, and naturally, lifelong relationships are formed between them. While player friendships, and feuds too, get the spotlight, the friendships among the partners of athletes are not given due credence. The bond shared by Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-wife Shaunie Henderson and Gary Payton’s former wife Monique James, for instance, is an endearing one. They formed a familial connect beyond the dynamic provided by their ex-husbands, who were teammates both at the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat.
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In her memoir, Undefeated, Shaunie had described this bond multiple times. In one of the sections, she remembered how she’d known Monique and Gary’s son, Gary Payton II, since he was 14. She considers GP2 as her ‘nephew’. This love for Payton Jr. was reflected when she attended a game between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets despite not being a fan of either of the teams.
“In 2023 I went to a Warriors-Rockets game because her son, Gary Payton II, plays for the Warriors,” wrote Shaunie.
“As far as I’m concerned, he’s my nephew. He’s over thirty years old now, but I’ve known him since he was fourteen. When he heard I was coming to the game, he texted me, ‘Auntie, I’m not playing. I’m still injured, so you don’t have to come’. I replied, ‘Absolutely not. I’ll be there. I’m coming to see you’. I’m not even a Warriors fan,” she added.
Her words show how important the friendship with the Paytons is for her. After Gary and Monique welcomed their grandson, their bond with Shaunie became deeper. Official even.
Shaunie is Payton’s grandson’s godmother
When Payton was traded to LA, Shaunie wanted to do everything in her power to make a good first impression on his wife. She used her experience as an event manager to host a party at her and Shaq’s Beverley Hills home. Since both couples had young children at the time, she took the precaution of catering separate menus for kids and adults.
Shaunie became close friends with Monique soon after. Her bond with the Payton children grew too. And Shaunie was named godmother to Raquel Payton’s first child, Jacoby.
“Later, Gary’s wife, Monique, thanked me for making them feel so welcome. She’s one of my closest friends to this day; her adult kids still call me ‘Auntie’, and her grandson, Jacoby, is Keion’s [Henderson] and my godson,” Shaunie wrote in her memoir.
Since then, Shaunie has made time to be with Jacoby, celebrating birthdays and other big days, even as her relationship with Monique flourishes.
