"WANTED TO GO TO CLASS AND BE A COMEDIAN" - WHEN GARY PAYTON GOT 'SMACKED' IN FRONT OF HIS TEAMMATES BY HIS FATHER
Gary Payton's reputation as one of the NBA's greatest perimeter defenders can be largely attributed to the influence of his father, AI. Better known as 'Mr. Mean' due to his stern parenting style, GP's dad recognized the potential negative influences around Gary in his youth.
Determined to guide his son onto the right path, AI employed strict disciplinary measures. Whenever Payton failed to understand this, he didn't shy away from teaching his son a lesson harshly.
He smacked Gary in front of his entire class
From a young age, GP held a deep-seated fear of his father. The mere threat of informing AI about any misbehavior was often enough to curtail 'The Glove's' antics. However, on one particular occasion, Gary's maths teacher bypassed the usual mornings and contacted his father directly about his son's disruptive classroom behavior.
Without a second thought, AI immediately made his way to his son's school and even entered his classroom, intent on addressing the situation personally.
"Gary wanted to go to class and be a comedian," Al said. "I went in there and told his classmates, 'I'm going to show you all that he's not a little man, he's a little baby.' And I kind of spanked him in front of everyone. That was that. Even in college, all anyone had to do was say, 'I'm going to call your father,' and Gary would straighten right up."
Some might think that a strict parenting style could potentially instill hatred in a child, especially if they have negative influences around them. However, AI only wanted to ensure that his son would never even consider doing anything wrong–not just in school but also outside of it.
"Money changes people's minds," Payton Sr. added. "I made sure Gary never had to sell drugs to get any."
Gary respected his father
In an interview with DJ Vlad, 'The Glove' didn't just confirm this story but also shared that his dad was consistently strict with him. However, rather than being rebellious, Payton recognized his father's intentions and admitted that he greatly respected him even if AI never implemented him.
"I really respect it because he made me who I was," Gary said. "He did that for a lot of people in Oakland, California, that didn't have fathers. He was the one that became their father."
It certainly wasn't easy for GP growing up, but that helped mold him into one of the best point guards the NBA has ever seen and one of the fiercest competitors you could imagine.
2024-07-01T23:37:53Z dg43tfdfdgfd