
The Gary Payton Episode / "We're Going to Get The Sonics Back" - Live from Swinomish Casino & Lodge
Presented by Swinomish Casino & Lodge Sponsored by Hunt's Services Gary Payton, The Glove, joins Iconic Sonics for an unforgettable conversation about the Seattle SuperSonics, Shawn Kemp, the 1990s Sonics, his Hall of Fame career, and the future of basketball in Seattle. Danny Ball and Mike Gastineau sit down with one of the greatest players in Seattle sports history at Swinomish Casino & Lodge for a wide-ranging conversation covering everything from Gary's legendary partnership with Shawn Kemp to the 1996 NBA Finals, his battles with Michael Jordan and John Stockton, his journey into coaching, and his thoughts on the Sonics potentially returning to Seattle. Gary talks openly about his lifelong brotherhood with Shawn Kemp, why you can't mention The Glove without The Rain Man, what made their duo so difficult for opposing teams to stop, and why he believes Shawn belongs in the Basketball Hall of Fame. He also reflects on the 1996 Sonics team, the playoff run to the NBA Finals, playing against the Houston Rockets, his relationship with George Karl, learning from Julius Erving, his time with the Miami Heat, winning an NBA championship, and what he has learned from coaching the next generation of players. And with the NBA's expansion process moving forward, Gary shares his excitement about the possibility of the Sonics returning to Seattle and what it would mean to see the city's basketball history come back to life. A huge thank you to Swinomish Casino & Lodge for hosting us and for the incredible hospitality. 0:00 - Gary Payton Joins Iconic Sonics 2:38 - Is Gary Payton the Greatest Sonic Ever? 4:18 - Gary Makes His Case for Shawn Kemp's Hall of Fame 5:15 - The Glove & The Rain Man: A Brotherhood 7:00 - Will Gary Payton Be Involved When the Sonics Return? 8:30 - Why Gary Would Rather Build a Team Than Coach It 10:00 - Gary Payton on Coaching & Developing Young Players 12:45 - Why Today's NBA Players Don't Work Like They Used To 15:00 - The Coaches & Legends Who Changed Gary's Career 17:00 - How Walter Payton Helped Straighten Gary Out 19:00 - Eddie Johnson, Teammates & Learning to Grow Up 20:00 - The Story Behind Gary Payton's Iconic Glove 22:00 - Why Gary Thinks He's More Popular Now Than Ever 23:30 - Gary's Oakland Basketball Roots 25:00 - Gary Payton's Hide & Seek Strategy 😂 26:00 - Green Lake, Seattle Pickup & Talking Trash 27:30 - The Gary Payton Classic & Seattle's Basketball Culture 29:00 - Raising Jamal Crawford & Passing Down the Game 30:00 - The Legacy of Gary's Father, Al Payton 32:00 - Where Gary's Trash Talk Really Came From 33:00 - Why Gary Payton Wore No. 20 34:00 - Gary's Favorite Team to Play: The Houston Rockets 35:30 - The 1996 Rockets Sweep & The Finals Run 37:00 - Gary Payton's Final Championship in Miami 39:00 - John Stockton: The Player Gary Respected Most 40:30 - Gary's First Game Against Shawn Kemp in Cleveland 42:00 - What Gary Thinks Happened With Shawn Kemp 43:00 - Gary Payton Imagines Opening Night of the Sonics' Return 44:00 - "We're Going to Get It Back" | Gary's Final Message to Seattle CREDITS Behind the cameras: Wesley Holboy, owner of Holboy Entertainment Amirah Holboy, lead photographer for Holboy Entertainment Madeline Down, editing and production Michael Chang, production assistant and BTS footage Brett Goldberg, executive producer Mike Gastineau, guest host Danny Ball, host And, of course, Gary Payton. Thank you to everyone who helped make this episode happen, and to all the fans who came through and shared their stories. Follow Iconic Sonics for more conversations, stories and memories from Seattle basketball: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iconic_sonics/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iconic_sonics

