Gary Payton to be honored

Like with our earlier Leon Powe entry, here's another article featuring an Oakland born and bred basketballer:

Gary Payton to be Inducted into Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
August 11, 2009

Former Oregon State men's basketball standout Gary Payton is one of seven inductees into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame, Mike Rose, executive director of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, announced on Tuesday. Payton and the rest of the Class of 2009 will be inducted in a ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at the Multnomah Athletic Club.

"Gary (Payton) is one of the faces of Oregon State basketball and it is great to hear he's been selected for this tremendous honor," Oregon State head men's basketball coach Craig Robinson said. "He is one of the all-time greats in our sport and we could not be happier for him as he enters the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame."

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Gary Payton sponsors a club basketball squad

Payton is giving back

He lives in Las Vegas, but former NBA-er Gary Payton hasn't forgotten his roots.

Payton takes off gloves, shows his love with hoops team
Carl Steward
Inside Bay Area
4/17/2009

When Derek Smith decided he wanted to form his own club basketball team this year for Oakland-area youth, he found a powerful partner to help realize his dream — none other than one of the city's leading hoops legends, Gary Payton.

A family friend for years, Payton was doing a speaking engagement last year at Alameda County Juvenile Hall, where Smith works as a probation officer.

In passing, Smith mentioned to Payton about his vision for the team, and Payton said, "Let's do it, and I'll sponsor it."

Hence, the creation of the GP Gloves, a team made up almost entirely of high school sophomores from which Smith and Payton hope to build the foundation of a model club...

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