KD reveals what sparked hilarious encounter with Payton Sr. originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
While the Warriors’ performance certainly was forgettable, the same can’t be said about a hilarious mid-game exchange between Kevin Durant and Gary Payton Sr. during Golden State’s 130-105 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday night at Chase Center.
After Friday’s game, Durant explained what sparked the amusing interaction with Payton, revealing their light-hearted banter started way back during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Yeah, it’s always good when I run into an older player, especially who played in the 90’s because [I] feel like that’s the golden years of the NBA. So I try to let them know, especially GP,” Durant told reporters. “I try to let them know what it would have been like if you’d have been on the court with me because they tend to talk down on the mentality of our era players. So every time. GP a great sport about it, one of my favorite players, somebody I look up to, got major respect for.
“I think it started in the summer at Team USA. We were all in the same room , Team USA, and the first thing I said to him was that he couldn’t guard me, he’s too small. Them dudes that he played back in the day wasn’t close to me. I was just talking crazy to hi,. so I guess we just picked it up from there. I love that I can have that rapport with the older generation of players and let them know that I’m like little bro to them. You know, I always looked up to them my whole life, so yeah I’m going to talk a little shit to them. So that was fun. I got major respect for GP.”
Durant wasted no time backing his words with action, rattling off three consecutive made 3-pointers to close out the third quarter, giving Phoenix a comfortable lead heading into the game’s final frame.
Payton is revered for his all-time defensive ability, a skill that only was surpassed on the court by his ability to trash talk and rattle opponents.
However, it appears he found a worthy adversary in Durant.
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