Long Overshadowed by Dad, Gary Payton II Making New Family Legacy at Oregon St.
CORVALLIS, Ore. — Oregon State's game against Washington on Sunday is 10 minutes old when the most famous player in school history springs from his courtside seat.
Sporting designer jeans, a gray Beavers hoodie and a pair of diamond earrings, there stands Gary Payton, who became an NBA Hall of Famer in large part because of a defensive prowess that earned him the nickname "The Glove." So it's only fitting that a steal is what prompts him to pump his fist as Oregon State capitalizes with an easy basket while a nearly sellout crowd erupts.
Two hours later, in a hallway outside the locker room after the 64-50 win, Payton says the atmosphere at Gill Coliseum reminded him of his All-American playing days in Corvallis, where folks now obsess over a new hero—the same guy who caused Payton to leap from his seat.
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Twenty-five years after The Glove, fans are now enamored with "The Thief."
"His dad had a nickname, so everyone says he needs one, too," says Monique James, Payton's ex-wife and the mother of Gary Payton II, Oregon State's newest star. "I came up with that a few weeks ago. What do you think?"
The moniker certainly seems appropriate.
Much like his famous father did from 1986-1990, Payton II has earned a reputation as one of the country's top defenders. The junior ranks third in the nation with 3.0 steals per game, mainly because of his knack for playing the passing lanes and anticipating things before they happen.
Even more impressive, though, is Payton II's versatility. The 6'4", 180-pound junior-college transfer also leads Oregon State in points (12.4) and rebounds (8.0) and ranks second in assists (3.0) and blocks (1.1)—a true stat-sheet filler who has propelled Oregon State to a 16-7 record under first-year coach Wayne Tinkle.
A strong finish could catapult the Beavers into the NCAA tournament for the first time since Payton II's dad led them there as a senior in 1990.
"That'd be a great story," Payton II says in a foyer outside the practice gym the following day. "But I don't compare myself to him. We're completely different players. I didn't come to Oregon State just to try to replicate what he did.
"I've always just tried to make my own name."
It hasn't been easy.
As a child growing up in Seattle, Gary Payton II often dreaded the time of day that most elementary school kids love.
Countless times in the gym or on the blacktop, Payton II would hear the same barbs from the third-, fourth- and fifth-graders during pickup games.
Why didn't your dad teach you how to play basketball?
You'll never be as good as your dad.
The only way you'll make the team is if your dad pays for it.
For an outsider, it would've been natural to assume that Payton II loved everything about basketball during those early years, when his father was a nine-time NBA All-Star for the Seattle SuperSonics.
Payton Sr. took his son to nearly every home game and even most of the practices, eventually getting him a job as a ball boy. Before each game, he'd rebound for Seattle standouts, such as Detlef Schrempf and Vin Baker, or visiting stars, such as Kevin Garnett or Vince Carter, both of whom he considers friends.
During the game, Payton II would wipe up sweat or hand out water bottles and towels when players came to the bench. Once he even dressed up as Mini-Squatch, a sidekick to the team mascot who mimicked all of Squatch's pranks and dances as fans chuckled from their seats.
Deep down, though, Payton II was beginning to sour on the sport.
Whether it was at his private school in Seattle or one of the junior high or high schools he attended in Milwaukee, Boston, Los Angeles or Las Vegas, Payton II continued to be the subject of barbs about not being as good as his father.
Monique sensed her son's frustration. He'd loaf during youth league games and "would act like he didn't want to be there," she said. Monique encouraged Payton II to stand up to his bullies.
"Talk back to them," she'd say. "Curse them out if you have to and get in their face. Just make sure they know you're your own man and that you can be whatever you want to be."
Instead, the soft-spoken Payton II drifted further and further away from the game around the ninth grade. He continued to play AAU ball, but his minutes were limited.
"I'd get in for a few minutes if we were up by 40," Payton II says, "but it was hard to do much in those situations."
At one point, Payton II even told his father to quit attending games because the criticisms heard were so harsh. Now 22, Payton II shrugs his shoulders when discussing those days.
"The pressure got to me," he says. "Everyone was comparing me to my dad. It just wasn't fun anymore."
Things changed for Payton II, however, the summer before his junior year at Spring Valley High School in Las Vegas.
That's when Payton II caught the eye of Darrel Jordan, a local AAU coach who had been working with Payton II's younger brother. Jordan put the oldest Payton sibling through intense workouts to improve his jump shot, enhance his conditioning and, more than anything, develop his confidence. With Jordan leading the charge, Payton II began to sense his own potential.
"And once he got to where he could dunk, it was on from there," Monique laughs. "He became a totally different person. Basketball became the main thing in his life. It was a type of passion he had never experienced before."
Payton II said a handful of small Division I schools, including Florida Gulf Coast, offered him a scholarship out of high school, but because of subpar grades, he was forced to attend prep school in Phoenix for a year before spending two seasons at Salt Lake City Community College.
"That was the best thing for me anyway," Payton II says. "I wasn't physically or mentally prepared to be a Division I player out of high school."
Payton II earned second-team NJCAA Division I All-American honors after averaging 14.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists as a sophomore at Salt Lake City C.C. He also added about 25 pounds to his 150-pound frame.
Despite an offer from perennial NCAA tournament contender Saint Mary's, Payton II signed a national letter of intent with Oregon State in the fall of 2013. He remained committed after the school fired coach Craig Robinson four months later.
"Don't worry, Coach," Payton II told Tinkle by phone the night of his hiring. "I'm a Beaver."
Pleased as he was with the news, the conversation didn't mark the first time Tinkle had come away impressed with Payton II. Then the head coach at Montana, Tinkle watched a Salt Lake City Community College practice when Payton II was a freshman role player.
"I was there scouting a bunch of guys," Tinkle said. "No one in particular."
Still, at the end of the workout, Payton II approached Tinkle on the sideline, shook his hand and thanked him for coming.
Two years later, Tinkle smiles when recalling the story.
"I knew when I was hired here I'd be coaching a great person," he says. "But I had no idea he'd be this good of a player."
When Payton II was in grade school, he often attended Oregon State football games with his father.
Whether they were walking through the parking lot toward the stadium, eating at a local restaurant or stopping by Gill Coliseum to visit the basketball staff, Payton Sr. was always stopped for autographs, pictures or just a few quick words from fans who wanted to say "thanks."
All these years later, nothing has changed.
"He's treated like a superstar every time he comes to Corvallis," Payton II says. "Sometimes I'd watch it all happen and think, 'I want that to be me someday.' But now I realize that I just want to do my own thing."
Indeed, Payton II has done more than become a better basketball player since arriving at Oregon State. He's gotten wiser.
Instead of letting his father's celebrity be a burden, Payton II now sees it as a blessing and a motivational tool. Each day he walks into Gill Coliseum and sees a commemorative banner with Payton Sr.'s picture hovering over the court.
"Every time you look up there and see that," his father told him, "you need to think, 'One day they're going to put my picture up there next to my dad's.'"
"He can't fill my shoes, and he's not trying to do that," Payton Sr. says. "He's going to make his own name, his own statement. He's a completely different player than I was anyway."
Payton Sr.—who holds Seattle franchise records for career points, assists and steals—was a better on-ball defender than his son. He was also more offensive-minded, known as much for his scoring as his assists. Payton II takes more pride in getting his teammates involved.
"I want him to be more aggressive offensively," Payton Sr. said. "He needs to develop his mid-range jumper if he wants to get to the next level. If he does that, he'll have a chance, because he already does a lot of things NBA guys like."
Just like his father, Payton II embraces playing defense—"I love it," he says—and he's actually a better defender off the ball because he plays the passing lanes so well. His passion for rebounding is also a rarity among guards. His rebounding figures at Oregon State (8.0 per game) would be considered very good for a power forward.
In terms of leadership, Payton Sr. was known as one of the NBA's top trash-talkers. His son is quiet but still leads by example.
"Sometimes he serves as a buffer," Tinkle says. "If he sees that I'm about to jump on a guy, he'll get between us and say, 'Don't worry, Coach. He'll be all right. I'll get him going.'
"His leadership qualities have blown us away considering he's a transfer who was already having to adapt in so many other areas."
Excited as he is about his son's success, Payton Sr. hasn't interfered. Other than calling Tinkle to discuss his coaching philosophy after he was hired, he has attempted to stay in the background and let Tinkle do his job.
Payton Sr. did say, however, that he plans to enlist the help of NBA standouts John Wall and Damian Lillard to work with his son during the offseason.
"That sounds great to me," Payton II said. "It'll help me defensively to go one-on-one with bigger, quicker guards like that. That's exactly what I need."
In the meantime, Payton II is focused on doing whatever he can to help Oregon State continue its hot streak.
Tinkle said he entered the season questioning whether the Beavers would be good enough to win five games. Three months later, Oregon State is 16-7 overall and 7-4 in the Pac-12 with a win over No. 7 Arizona.
Sunday's crowd of 9,114 was the Beavers' largest in two years at Gill Coliseum, where Oregon State is 14-0. Most mock brackets don't have the Beavers in the 68-team field, but that could change if Tinkle's squad picks up quality wins on the road.
"It's like Coach says," Payton II added, "'why wait two or three years to rebuild? Why not do it now?'"
The Beavers are accomplishing just that thanks, in large part, to Payton II, who has a family member supporting him in the crowd every home game. If his father can't fly in from Los Angeles, where he works as a Fox Sports television analyst, he arranges for Monique to travel to Corvallis from her home in Las Vegas.
Then there are times like Sunday, when both parents were in the stands. As Payton shouted encouragement from courtside, Monique leaned forward on the edge of her seat.
"When I was an NBA wife, I had a good time at the games," she says. "I'd be kicking it with my heels on and talking to everyone else about where we were going after the game.
"Here, I'm focused. I've got my Uggs on, and I won't even think about getting up to go to the restroom. I'm just so excited to see my son play, to see him having so much fun after living in that shadow for so long."
As Oregon State families and staff members milled about on the court following Sunday's 64-50 win over Washington, a group of about 20 fans encircled Payton Sr., each of them, it seemed, asking for autographs and selfies.
The NBA legend seemed happy to oblige. But when he looked across the court, he realized he wasn't the only one receiving attention.
About 20 feet away, Payton II was wrapping up a television interview when his dad darted across the hardwood for a quick embrace. The two talked privately for a moment before more autograph-seekers approached.
Eventually, a security guard was summoned to intervene and clear an escape path toward the tunnel. Not just for the The Glove.
But for The Thief, too.
Jason King covers college sports for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JasonKingBR.
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