by Cedric ‘BIG CED’ Thornton
September 9, 2024
“The opportunity for our players to learn from one of the all-time NBA greats and Olympic gold medalists is one that we knew we could not afford to pass up,” Athletic Director Ramaundo Vaughn said.
Gary Payton, a former NBA player, has been announced as the new head coach of the College of Alameda men’s basketball team.
ESPN reported that the former Seattle SuperSonics guard, known as “The Glove” during his professional playing days, will lead the College of Alameda men’s basketball team after being the head coach at Lincoln University in Oakland, California, for the past three seasons.
Former NBA star Gary Payton, Sr., is the new head men’s basketball coach at College of Alameda, sources told @espn @andscape. The @Hoophall member was a head coach at NAIA Lincoln University in Oakland, California the past 3 seasons before taking over at the nearby junior college
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) September 7, 2024
“Gary Payton is the right choice for the College Of Alameda for a number of reasons,” Athletic Director Ramaundo Vaughn said in a written statement. “Gary has always been a leader and winner. We know that Coach Payton will hold our athletes accountable on the court, in the classroom, and in the community.”
Vaughn stated that Payton would also work with the community while guiding the students.
“The opportunity for our players to learn from one of the all-time NBA greats and Olympic gold medalists is one that we knew we could not afford to pass up.”
As a coach, Payton has been very active over the past few years while also coaching in Ice Cube’s Big3 league. He has been coaching since the league started in 2017, and this past season, he led his team to the title and was named the Big3 Coach of the Year.
His work is cut out for him with the College of Alameda men’s basketball team. The college is a junior college that plays in the Bay Valley Conference, and the team went 7-21 last season.
Payton won one NBA championship while playing with the Miami Heat in 2006. The 56-year-old played in the NBA for 17 seasons with the Seattle Sonics, the Miami Heat, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Boston Celtics. When he was picked as NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the 1995-96 season, he was the first point guard to win the award.
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