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Gary Payton II Finally Breaks Silence After Being Accused of Choosing Money Over Stephen Curry’s Warriors

Published 07/02/2022, 1:06 PM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

Gary Payton II finally opened up about his Instagram story that upset a portion of the Golden State Warriors fanbase. In fact, the 29-year-old point guard posted a meme on his Instagram stories implying that he’s overjoyed to leave Stephen Curry and the Warriors for Portland Trail Blazers. Meanwhile, the story offended a lot of  Stephen Curry and Dubs fans and Payton II had to clarify his position later on.

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in a six-game series in the 2022 NBA Finals to bag their fourth championship in eight years. Curry led the Warriors to an unexpected comeback after a 3-year hiatus. Additionally, Curry bagged his first-ever Finals MVP trophy to complete his opulent trophy cabinet.

USA Today via Reuters

Meanwhile, Gary Payton II played an important part in the Warriors’ victory on the defensive end. The Dubs guard returned from a serious injury to help the Warriors get over the hump.

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Gary Payton II clarifies his position on leaving Stephen Curry and the Warriors

Gary Payton II has agreed on a $28 million 3-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. In the meantime, the Warriors star posted a clip of a laughing person slowly entering the back seat of a car on his Instagram stories. Several Dubs fans were confused after watching the story.

In fact, it seemed to them as if Payton II is happy and excited to leave Stephen Curry and the Warriors. As a matter of fact, he couldn’t wait to do that.

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However, Payton II clarified his position later on. He tweeted that he’s just excited to receive his money. In fact, he has nothing but love for the Dubs.

Got my [bag]! forever love“, tweeted the 2019 NBA G League champion. He also included blue and gold hearts to express his love for Golden State

Gary Payton II’s remarkable season

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Gary Payton II, the son of former SuperSonics point guard Gary Payton, had a remarkable season this year. In fact, he averaged 7.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in a career-high 71 games this season.

Payton II suffered a fractured elbow in the Conference semifinals against Memphis this postseason. But he came back to play a crucial role as a defensive stopper against Boston in the Finals. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that he’s elated after receiving a big contract after spending most of his career as a journeyman.

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What are your thoughts on Payton II’s story? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by:

Satagni Sikder

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Satagni Sikder is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. He has a Master's degree in English from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, and has been following the NBA since 2017. Moreover, he supports the Dallas Mavericks, and unsurprisingly, Luka Doncic is his favorite player.
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Edited by:

Arunaditya Aima