Basketball legend Gary Payton is a historian of the game. He spent 13 years in the NBA playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Throughout the journey, Payton took home an NBA ring after winning a championship in 2006 with the Miami Heat.
Still to this day, the 53-year-old continues to follow the game while also critiquing players in the league today. His most recent criticism targeted Nets guard Kyrie Irving for what he said last year regarding coaching. The former Duke product had this to say before the start of last season:
“I don’t really see us having a head coach,” Irving said. “You know what I mean? KD could be a head coach. I could be a head coach.”
In response, although it took a long time coming, Payton didn’t hold back on Nothing Personal for a Sampson Sit-Down:
“That’s just a shame right there. I think that that was a bad statement by him. You should respect the coaches, you should respect the guys that have been put in those positions. And if you want to be that guy, if you were a guy that was my superstar, and you come to me, and you perform on the floor and do the things on the floor that you are supposed to, then I’m gonna bring you in on everything I’m gonna do, anyway. Because I wanna keep you happy and keep my team happy.”