Jayden is just starting basketball himself as a beginner, so this is going to spur him on to know that he's not alone with the challenges," Lisa Neith said. Payton II has also been waived five times by NBA teams, including the Warriors this season on Oct. 16 before re-signing him to a non-guaranteed one-year, $1.9 million contract three days later after he cleared waivers. From Westwind Preparatory Academy in Phoenix, Gary landed at Salt Lake Community College. Gary Payton on his two sons bearing his name, despite being - YouTube Get the ball to the guys that need it.. Steph was a problem for the Celtics But its crazy how the world works out. That was the feeling at the start of the season. For him that's a great thing to do, to try to make an impact and be inspirational and maybe change the course of somebody's life in some way.". But his love for the game, and the preparation it requires, didn't come naturally -- or easily. Then named Monique James, she played basketball for Skyline High School in Oakland, California. They later divorced. Widely considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, he is best known for his 13-year tenure with the Seattle SuperSonics, where he holds franchise records in points, assists, and steals. Shes my world. And Monique Payton is really excited that her son, whom she calls Lil G, is playing on Christmas Day for the first time and is holding out hope that her present could be her presence. Gary struggled to read. Cant do nothing about it now.. He does a lot.. Gary and his mom, a former player herself, watched his dad's games together -- over and over again. The Warriors realized during their last NBA playoff run that Payton is a rare player. Hes smart, he does a little bit of everything a winning team needs, and he fits our team really well. Both were prodigious "trash talkers"[27] (Larry Johnson once named Payton, Jordan and himself the best three trash talkers in the league),[28] had legendary competitiveness, and as the 1997 NBA Preview magazine stated, "Payton [was] quick, and strong as an ox", making him the kind of player who could frustrate Jordan defensively. Eventually, he learned to ask for the concepts to be written out so he could see them. He can rebound, defend and create extra possessions for us. Payton Sr. and Monique Payton, now divorced, also used to make their children sign contracts promising that they would finish a season to a sport they were playing.