GP2 always knew defense would make his dreams come true originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Maybe it’s from his Hall of Fame genes, maybe not. Either way, defense is in Gary Payton II’s DNA.
For young hoopers, there’s only one goal: Get buckets. It does’t matter if it’s a layup, an underhand shot or a half-court heave. Just get the ball in the basket. Defense is secondary. That’s not even right. Defense is non-existent.
Gary Payton II is different.
The Warriors guard always knew defense would further his basketball dreams, even as a young teenager.
“Absolutely,” Payton said Monday when asked if he always knew defense would be his ticket. “Probably before I even knew I was gonna be in a situation like this. Probably before, like in junior high, I knew that defense was going to be my calling card.
“That’s why I was gonna use that to turn on my offense. I just got better and worked on it.”
Sunday night in the Warriors’ 94-92 win over the Utah Jazz, Payton II had two steals, one…