The Kobe Stopper’s Hero

[RaceBannon]

I stopped following the Sonics around when Gary Payton forced the trade and left town.

GP forced that trade? That's not my memory.

There's a UW booster that used to attend Sonics practices. He described stuff like Gary refusing to talk to George Karl. So at practice Karl would turn to Grgirich and say "Tell Gary that I want him to XXXXXX", and Gary would turn to Grgurich and said "Tell George I ain't gonna do that."

Anyway, he told me that Gary made it clear to Seattle that he would not resign with them at season's end and wanted out. FYIW

@sonics1993 ?

 

[DerekJohnson]

I stopped following the Sonics around when Gary Payton forced the trade and left town.

GP forced that trade? That's not my memory.

There's a UW booster that used to attend Sonics practices. He described stuff like Gary refusing to talk to George Karl. So at practice Karl would turn to Grgirich and say "Tell Gary that I want him to XXXXXX", and Gary would turn to Grgurich and said "Tell George I ain't gonna do that."

Anyway, he told me that Gary made it clear to Seattle that he would not resign with them at season's end and wanted out. FYIW

@sonics1993 ?

LOL not "Detlef"

 

[BleachedAnusDawg]

I stopped following the Sonics around when Gary Payton forced the trade and left town.

GP forced that trade? That's not my memory.

There's a UW booster that used to attend Sonics practices. He described stuff like Gary refusing to talk to George Karl. So at practice Karl would turn to Grgirich and say "Tell Gary that I want him to XXXXXX", and Gary would turn to Grgurich and said "Tell George I ain't gonna do that."

Anyway, he told me that Gary made it clear to Seattle that he would not resign with them at season's end and wanted out. FYIW

I definitely remember that he and Karl hated each other, and had for years. I thought the Sonics peddled that trade as a favor to GP given his age and that the Bucks were competing for the ECF while the Sonics were hot garbage at that point. As much as he meant to Seattle, I wouldn't have re-signed him for big money at age 34.

 

[RaceBannon]

I had to check but George Karl was fired before the 98 99 season and Gary left during the 2002 season after feuding with new owner Howard Fucking Schultz. The Sonics were dead and buried by then and looking to rebuild which they did although in OKC

Payton chased a ring in LA with Malone then won one in Miami in 05 with the Heat

Both Payton and Kemp said they ran of KC Jones because they were so immature and liked what Karl brought. But Gary did fight him every step of the way

The classic of the back board pass to Kemp and a missed dunked got them benched. Gary said to Kemp - we're going to do it again when he puts us back in

There's a NBA TV special on Kemp and Payton that is must see

 

[BleachedAnusDawg]

I had to check but George Karl was fired before the 98 99 season and Gary left during the 2002 season after feuding with new owner Howard Fucking Schultz. The Sonics were dead and buried by then and looking to rebuild which they did although in OKC

Payton chased a ring in LA with Malone then won one in Miami in 05 with the Heat

Both Payton and Kemp said they ran of KC Jones because they were so immature and liked what Karl brought. But Gary did fight him every step of the way

The classic of the back board pass to Kemp and a missed dunked got them benched. Gary said to Kemp - we're going to do it again when he puts us back in

There's a NBA TV special on Kemp and Payton that is must see

Karl was also the coach in Milwaukee when Payton was traded there.

 

[Tequilla]

I went to an intrasquad scrimmage at SPU in 1995 …

GP was doing everything he could to get the officials to toss him so he didn’t have to play. Regardless of the abuse George kept telling the officials that they couldn’t T him up or toss him.

Finally in the 4th quarter George nodded and Gary hit the showers …

One of those relationships that while it happened they hated each other’s guts but over time pretty sure they realized they both needed the other

 

[DerekJohnson]

I went to an intrasquad scrimmage at SPU in 1995 …

GP was doing everything he could to get the officials to toss him so he didn’t have to play. Regardless of the abuse George kept telling the officials that they couldn’t T him up or toss him.

Finally in the 4th quarter George nodded and Gary hit the showers …

One of those relationships that while it happened they hated each other’s guts but over time pretty sure they realized they both needed the other

For of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: 'what might have been!'

 

[Kaepsknee]

I had to check but George Karl was fired before the 98 99 season and Gary left during the 2002 season after feuding with new owner Howard Fucking Schultz. The Sonics were dead and buried by then and looking to rebuild which they did although in OKC

Payton chased a ring in LA with Malone then won one in Miami in 05 with the Heat

Both Payton and Kemp said they ran of KC Jones because they were so immature and liked what Karl brought. But Gary did fight him every step of the way

The classic of the back board pass to Kemp and a missed dunked got them benched. Gary said to Kemp - we're going to do it again when he puts us back in

There's a NBA TV special on Kemp and Payton that is must see

Once you get past the paternity suits portion, it delivers.