Player Bio

Gary Dwayne Payton II was born in 1992 in Seattle, WA. He is the son of Monique and NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton. The younger Payton is sometimes called "The Mitten" in reference to his dad's nickname, "The Glove." Payton II has two brothers and a sister. Payton first attended Spring Valley High School in Las Vegas, NV, where he played basketball and was a member of the swim team. For his senior season (2011-12), Payton transferred to Westwind Prepatory Academy in Phoenix, AZ. After high school, Payton spent two years at Salt Lake Community College before transferring to his father's alma mater, Oregon State. During his college days, his favorite athlete was Ronda Rousey. Fans can follow the 6-foot-3 guard on Instagram (@garydwayne). Payton first played two seasons of college ball at Salt Lake Community College in Utah. During his freshman season as a Bruin, he averaged 9.4 points, 6.2 boards, 3.7 assists and 1.9 steals. Payton led SLCC to a 29-5 record, the Region 18 Championship and the SWAC Title. Over his second season, Payton's numbers improved to 14.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.8 dimes per contest, which led to his earning Second-Team NJCAA Divison I All-American honors. Payton then transferred to his famous father's alma mater, Oregon State. During his first season as a Beaver, Payton led the team in scoring, rebounds and steals. Payton finished the year second in the nation in steals with 3.1 per game. He was voted the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and named to the All-Pac-12 First Team. During his senior year, he started all 32 games and averaged 16.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 0.5 blocks in 34.3 minutes. Payton became the first two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and was again named to the All-Pac-12 First Team.