Some past players join the coaching ranks after they retire, but until now, Gary Payton wasn’t ready to join them. The Hall of Famer and former Seattle SuperSonics star spoke with Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports about his interest in joining an NBA coaching staff.
“I have had conversations in the past about coaching, but the timing wasn’t right. I believe I now am ready to coach,” Payton told Yahoo Sports in a phone interview Thursday night. “A lot of young NBA players are a voice away from reaching their true potential. I would like to join an NBA staff where I can help coach, mentor and guide players toward the hard work, focus and determination needed to become a reliable contributor to a team’s success.