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"He instilled the dawg in me" - Gary Payton II revealed how his dad toughened him up with trash talking
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- "He instilled the dawg in me" - Gary Payton II revealed how his dad toughened him up with trash talking
Apart from the last name, Gary Payton II got a lot of his characteristics from his legendary dad, Gary Sr. On the court, the father and son are both electric, durable and active on both ends of the floor.
Moreover, they are also fierce competitors.
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According to Payton II , his dad played a key role in bringing out his fierceness and relentlessness as a player. As most NBA fans could imagine, GP2 revealed that "The Glove" molded him using his sharp tongue.
As it turns out, Payton Sr . toughened up his son by talking a lot of trash. Though it may seem a bit unconventional, Payton II could tell that it worked out.
"He was trash-talking me," GP2 once opened up . "I got a lot of that when I was growing up. He used to talk trash to me when I was sorry growing up playing hoops, coming to my games telling me this, telling me that. I probably got it a little worse than y'all did on the court, but I kind of think he instilled the dawg in me. I didn't like the way he was talking to me, so I had to find a way to flip it on him. But now, he don't say nothing to me no more, so I guess I'm doing something right."
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Like father, like son
Some moms and dads choose to raise their kids in a different way than their parents raised them. This happens when these people realize that their parents could've done better in shaping their future. However, that wasn't the approach Payton Sr. used in molding his junior.
If anything, "The Glove" even did the same exact thing his dad did to him. Apparently, Payton Sr.'s father, GP2's grandpa, was a vicious trash-talker too. In fact, Payton Sr. once divulged that he became a trash-talker because of his dad .
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"Truth is, and everybody who knows me knows this — I wouldn't talk sh—t if it wasn't for my father," Payton wrote in an article for The Players' Tribune.
"He was Al Payton, but everyone in Oakland called my dad Mr. Mean. He had that sh—t printed on his damn license plate — MRMEAN… I got good at talking trash for one reason and one reason only. Because I saw my father do it so often in the streets. If somebody said something to him, he'd knock them out. That was it. I've seen it a hundred times. And people learned not to repeat that mistake. On the playground, growing up, my dad would always tell me, 'If they talk sh—t to you, talk back to them,'" he added.
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GP2 created his own identity
People would understandably always compare Payton II to his father, whether in terms of skills or personalities. Despite that, GP2 managed to carve out his own identity as an NBA player.
Unlike Payton Sr., "Young Glove" rarely talked trash to his opponents during games. Payton II also established himself as a very approachable and humble person, which made him a fan-favorite.
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In conclusion, it's a bit too early to tell if the Paytons' legacy as trash-talkers would finally end with GP2. As it stands, what remains undeniable is that Payton II has been applying the things he learned from his dad in a positive way, especially on the court.
In line with that, it's worth noting that Payton II has already solidified his status as one of the most notable defensive yet undersized guards in the league.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
