No one had impressed Kevin Garnett as much as ‘The Glove.‘ Both the NBA legends share the honor of being named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team a historic nine times. Despite being just 6’4″, the ex-NBA player made a lasting impression with his defensive skills. As The Glove takes another big step forward in his coaching career, ‘The Big Ticket’ has nothing but praise for the veteran. It was recently announced that the 9X NBA All-Star has been hired as the head coach for the College of Alameda’s basketball team.

Garnett shared a clip of Gary Payton Sr. speaking about his new role on Instagram Story, congratulating him. “Congratulations to my dog GP, @gary Payton.20 senior, on his new position as head coach,” Garnett wrote.

This is Payton Sr.’s second coaching stint. He has previously coached the basketball team at Lincoln University for three years. Needless to say, he has both the skills and experience. Besides that job, he also worked as an analyst.

But what may have given him even more coaching experience was his four-year role as a Big Three coach for the Three-Headed Monsters since the league’s launch. This league is for both former and active basketball players, blending streetball with professional play. He won the championship title with Bivouac in 2024.

Now, the 9x NBA All-Star will move on to share his knowledge and experience with Alameda’s men’s basketball team.

Kevin Garnett was stunned to see Gary Payton’s skills

In Garnett’s eyes, Payton Sr. is perhaps the best choice for Alameda’s men’s team. Previously, during an appearance at ‘All The Smoke’ podcast, the NBA legend described how he was stunned by Payton’s ability to manage everyone on the court. Recounting one of their matchups, he shared how Payton controlled and managed everyone, from the referees to the players and even the people sitting courtside.

“I saw Gary Payton control the referees, his coach, my coach, the crowd, the lady in the front. The guy who was on the side of the Minnesota games sitting in public. He was controlling the whole game,” the Boston Celtics legend said.

Considering Payton’s rich resume, he is the right choice for the College Of Alameda for a number of reasons. He could not lead the Sonic to win a title but he managed to win it with the Miami Heat.

Athletic director Ramaundo Vaughn said. “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.” It’s a big moment for the former Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.