Gary Payton II made his long-awaited return to the court in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. The Warriors’ guard had, of course, been out of action since Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Memphis Grizzlies, when a foul from Dillon Brooks ended up fracturing his elbow.
The incident led to that series being very contentious the rest of the way but the Warriors managed to navigate past the Grizzlies and then the Dallas Mavericks without him. He would be needed against the Boston Celtics, however, and Payton II marked his return with a good showing in Game 2 as Golden State blew out the Celtics 107-88. Also at the game to support him on his return was his father, the Hall of Famer Gary Payton.
Gary Payton on NBATV wearing a shirt of Gary Payton being guarded by Gary Payton II pic.twitter.com/HDdtEo7B7Y
— Kyle, a Madson (@KyleAMadson) June 5, 2022
“Gary Payton on NBATV wearing a shirt of Gary Payton being guarded by Gary Payton II”
Payton sported an awesome shirt of him being guarded by his son and it’s great to see him being so supportive of him. Payton was a superstar in the NBA in the 1990s and early 2000s, during which he was voted in as an All-Star 9 times. Payton was also the last guard to win Defensive Player of the Player back in 1996 before Marcus Smart won it this season.
While his son will never reach those same heights, Payton II has worked hard to be a valuable role player in the NBA. He is a very good defender and has some range in him too, which is very needed these days. Payton II is also looking to potentially become, along with his dad, the fifth father-son duo to win a championship after his father won the title with the Miami Heat in 2006. His return did play a part in the Warriors getting the win in Game 2, as Payton II was a +15 in his 25 minutes of action and he’ll be now looking to help them reclaim home-court advantage in the series in Games 3 & 4.
