A biography for Gary Paytonhasn’t been written yet.
“I can't think ok, I got 35 points, he got 35, I did something good.”
“I was really scared when I went to Oregon State. I wasn't sure I could play at the college level.”
“What's the difference? Ninety million or 80 million. You still can't spend it all.”
“I was really excited about going to Miami because of coach Riley. And getting with him has been a change for me and really good for me.”
“When you play defense what happens is everybody pays attention and they start talking about how you're the stopper, you can stop this guy. All of a sudden your game gets better on the offensive end and you become that versatile guard that everybody wants.”
“I am going to go on with my life, and if they call me and say 'Yo, you are going to be in the Hall of Fame or you are going to be in this,' then I am going to say, 'So be it.' If I make it, I will go to the ceremony, and I'll have fun.”
“When I was talking a lot of trash, a lot of the guys knew that when I started getting serious was when I started getting a little bit quieter. If I started locking up somebody, then I'd start talking even more and I'd talk more aggressive. But once I stopped, they knew I was really serious.”
“Assistants like Tim Grgurich worked with me and watched film of me from my Oregon State days.”
“You talk about rowdy - in Oakland the players were on you. The refs were on you. The stands were on you. You had to talk back or you were a sissy; you'd get run out of the league. Afterward? Yeah, it was kind of a, uh, struggle to get out of the gym. Cops had to be everywhere. Which was lucky.”
“I'm not into the European-style clothes.”
“If you see yourself in the paper every day and people keep talking about you, you will have a little breakdown in yourself, too.”
“LeBron is making a case for himself to be one of the greatest players to ever play.”
“I've done everything - All-Stars, Olympics. The only thing I haven't done is win MVP of the league. There's nothing else I haven't accomplished.”
“Don't hate, just play better, and then get that money.”
“I'm humble.”
“George Gervin was my childhood idol since I was little. In Oakland I had all his posters on my wall.”
“Part of being a leader means knowing who you can go after and who you should pat on the butt.”
“I like comfortable clothes, so I get most of my pants and shirts made.”
“My family played a big part of my success.”
“Tim Hardaway was a guy who had his crossover and then he could shoot a jump shot and he could get to the bucket.”