Gary Payton II Biography

Gary Dwayne Payton II, born on December 1, 1992, is an American professional basketball player who has competed in the National Basketball Association. As a junior and senior at Oregon State, he earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors and was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. He captured his first NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2022. After high school, he attended Westwind Preparatory Academy during the 2011–12 season. As a freshman, he averaged 9.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.9 steals per game, leading his team to a 29–5 record and a 14–1 conference mark in 2013. Following an undrafted status in 2016, he joined the Houston Rockets for the NBA Summer League that year. He was released on October 14 as part of the team’s final 2017–18 preseason roster cuts.