"You Ain't Shit. You Trash" - Gary Payton Remains One Of The Greatest Shit Talkers The Game Of Basketball Has Ever Seen

Nathaniel S. Butler. Getty Images.

One of the weird parts about getting older is seeing all the sports legends you grew up watching also age. This really hits home when you maybe see one of their kids playing the same sport their Dad was an all time great in, and that's definitely true of someone like Gary Payton. One of the greatest guards of my adolescence and pound for pound arguably one fo the greatest shit talkers the NBA has ever seen, I found it hilarious that even to this day The Glove has not changed one bit.

It doesn't matter where he is or what he's competing in, Gary Payton is going to talk his shit. Recently, this means the Big3, where both Payton and Jordan Crawford (be still my former Celts legends heart) had a bit of a dust up, which is the least surprising thing of all time

It took a little while, but we finally have the unedited version of the shit Payton was talking that sort of sparked this whole thing, and just as you may have imagined, it did not disappoint

Younger stoolies may not be aware of or even remember who The Glove was as a player

but he was truly 1 of 1 both in terms of his skillset and his ability to talk shit. It's what made him an all time great player (HOFer, Top 75 member, 9x All Star, 9x All NBA, DPOY, 9x All Defensive, All Rookie, NBA Champ) and one of the rare situations where not only would he talk his shit, but he would then immediately back it up

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Even in retirement Gary Payton has stayed true to his shit talking self which frankly I love. Be proud of who you are at all times and embrace it, especially when you're a legend. 

If we're being honest I'm a little surprised nobody has brought Payton in to be a part of their staff. I would love for Joe Mazzulla to bring him in after losing some assistants this past summer because, between him and Sam Cassell, you might not find a better shit talking duo in all of coaching. Plus I can only imagine how much better the best defensive backcourt in the NBA would get with The Glove's input in the mix. It won't happen of course, but it should.

And as thankful as I am for that one time when Jordan Crawford won Player Of The Week as a Celtic during the early Brad Stevens years, I'm afraid Gary Payton is once again correct in his shit talking. That's why Crawford reacted the way he did, because deep down he knows Payton is right. That's what probably stung the most. 

I'm just happy that even in 2024, Gary Payton is still talking his shit and doing it at a high level. He may not have the defensive quickness anymore like he did in his prime, but talking shit? Still as elite as it gets.