Could you possibly imagine the NBA without Gary Payton? Payton, who earned nine All-Star appearances and a 1996 Defensive Player of the Year award throughout his illustrious career, recently confessed to NBA.com that he considered calling it quits during his rookie season.
“I was thinking about it,” Payton said in a phone conversation from his home in Las Vegas. “I was like, ‘What am I out here for? This isn’t even what I want to do. I’m not happy.’ I didn’t want to do anything….
On September 8, "The Glove" will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame after becoming the only player in league history to amass 20,000 points, 8,000 assists, 5,000 rebounds and 2,000 steals in their career. Needless to say, Payton was definitely good enough to play in the NBA.
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[via Hang Time Blog]
