What Happened to Gary Payton II? Why is He Not Playing?
by Kowsalya
Updated Apr 21, 2023
What Happened to Gary Payton II?
Before Game 3, the Warriors received unfortunate news regarding their key defensive player, Gary Payton II. In addition to Draymond Green's one-game suspension, Payton II was unavailable due to an illness, which caused him to miss practice on Wednesday.
Head coach Steve Kerr was unsure about Payton's status, and he was considered a game-time decision. However, the Warriors eventually announced that Payton II would not play and listed him as officially out on their pre-game injury report.
Why is Gary Payton II Not Playing?
The Golden State Warriors are facing a tough situation in their NBA playoff matchup against the Sacramento Kings. In addition to missing Draymond Green due to suspension, they will also be without Gary Payton II, who is suffering from a general illness.
Payton was too sick to practice on Wednesday and won't be able to join the team at Chase Center for Game 3. Payton has been an important contributor off the bench in the first two games of the series, averaging 26.3 minutes and 10.5 points per game while shooting an impressive 69.2% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc.
His absence, coupled with Green's suspension, means the Warriors are without their two best defenders. Payton has also been a force on the defensive end, averaging 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game in the series. With role players like Jonathan Kuminga, Donte DiVincenzo, Moses Moody, and JaMychal Green expected to step up, the pressure is on for the Warriors.
This is also the first time in the Draymond, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson era that the Warriors have entered Game 3 of a playoff series down 0-2. It's a tough situation that just got even tougher.
Who is Gary Payton II?
Gary Payton II is a professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors in the NBA. He was born on December 1, 1992, and played college basketball for the Oregon State Beavers, where he was named first-team All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year during his junior and senior seasons.
Payton won his first NBA championship with the Warriors in 2022. He is the son of Hall of Famer Gary Payton and is often referred to as "Young Glove" in reference to his father's nickname, "the Glove." While he also has the nickname "the Mitten," he prefers "Young Glove." Payton is also commonly known as "GP2."
Gary Payton II Bio
NAME
Gary Dwayne Payton
AGE
30 years
DATE OF BIRTH
1 December 1992
BORN COUNTRY
Seattle, Washington, United States
OCCUPATIONS
American professional basketball player
SIBLINGS
Raquel Payton, Julian Payton, Gary Payton J
PARENTS
Gary Payton, Monique James
DETAILS
SPECIFICATIONS
Gary Payton II Stat
2016–17
Milwaukee
6
0
16.5
.364
.111
.600
2.0
2.2
.5
.7
3.3
2017–18
Milwaukee
12
6
8.8
.394
.167
.667
1.4
.8
.3
.1
2.5
2017–18
L.A. Lakers
11
0
10.5
.415
.308
.167
2.5
1.1
.4
.2
3.5
2018–19
Washington
3
0
5.3
.625
.500
—
.7
1.3
1.0
.3
3.7
2019–20
Washington
29
17
14.9
.414
.283
.500
2.8
1.7
1.1
.2
3.9
2020–21
Golden State
10
0
4.0
.769
.500
.750
1.1
.1
.6
.1
2.5
2021–22
Golden State
71
16
17.6
.616
.358
.603
3.5
.9
1.4
.3
7.1
2022–23
Portland
15
1
17.0
.585
.529
1.000
2.6
1.5
1.1
.1
4.1
Golden State
7
0
16.0
.607
.444
.667
4.3
1.1
.9
.6
5.7
Career
164
40
14.8
.548
.341
.593
2.8
1.1
1.0
.3
5.1
Year
Team
GP
GS
MPG
FG%
3P%
FT%
RPG
APG
SPG
BPG
PPG
What Happened to Gary Payton II - FAQs
Gary Payton II is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors in the NBA.
Gary Payton II plays as a guard for the Golden State Warriors.
Gary Payton II played college basketball for the Oregon State Beavers.
Gary Payton II's father is Hall of Famer Gary Payton, who also played in the NBA.