Bay Area college hires NBA legend Gary Payton as new coach
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 27: Former NBA Player, Gary Payton Sr. attends Round 1 Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2022 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading
ALAMEDA, Calif. - NBA Hall of Famer and nine-time All-Star Gary Payton has a new title as the head basketball coach at the College of Alameda (COA).
The Peralta Community College District’s student-run publication, The Citizen, first reported the hiring on Saturday, noting the word came from the College of Alameda’s president, Melanie Dixon, who made the information public in a report the previous day.
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Payton, a legendary point guard and Oakland native, played 17 seasons in the NBA, which included a championship with the Miami Heat in 2006, as well as a season with the Los Angeles Lakers and 13 seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics.
The 56-year-old earned the nickname "The Glove" for his tenacious and unrelenting defensive skills.
In 2021, he was announced as the head basketball coach for the small private Lincoln University in downtown Oakland, where he was hired to help build the school's first ever basketball program.
After three seasons, he left Lincoln amid a contentious climate there and following critical remarks he made about the school’s basketball program, according to a "USA Today" report back in April.
In her report to the Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees, Dixon listed the long list of Payton’s accomplishments, saying, "Gary Payton, ‘The Glove,’ is known as the best defensive point guard of all time."
Dixon also praised the NBA star's work off the court. "Payton engages in extensive community work offering youth basketball camps in Oakland area and transforming the lives of the youth," the president of the junior college said.
A COA spokesperson said more information from Dixon was forthcoming Tuesday night during the Board of Trustees' meeting, and a press conference with the new coach was being planned.
The 56-year-old Payton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
His son, Gary Payton II, is a shooting guard for the Golden State Warriors.
Gary Payton II points to a vintage Gary Payton jersey worn by actor Will Ferrell. (Golden State Warriors )
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