When you play defense what happens is everybody pays attention and they start talking about how you're the stopper, you can stop this guy. All of a sudden your game gets better on the offensive end and you become that versatile guard that everybody wants.

Seattle deserves a team. They got robbed of their basketball team.

To go into Key Area every day, sold out, it was hard to come in there and get a win against us. That's when we used to make people understand, you can't come in and get a win against us. We were probably one of the hardest arenas to win in. Our fans were crazy. They would camp out.

You can't regret anything - it's over with.

There was a lot of temptation to do lots of bad things in my neighborhood.

Don't hate, just play better, and then get that money.

I did a lot of things I regret.

My father and my brother are chefs.

Tim Hardaway was a guy who had his crossover and then he could shoot a jump shot and he could get to the bucket.

Because of how I am on the court, people think I'm wild and crazy. But really, I'm a kick-back guy, so Seattle suits me fine.

The Glove is in the Hall of Fame with the greats.

No one superstar can win a championship by himself. You've got to have help.

I like Draymond Green's intensity... but every time I didn't get a call I didn't cry all the time.

As far as talking on the court was concerned, the whole family was behind me on that.

My dad was known as a mean guy. He never smiled, and he had 'Mr. Mean' put on his license plate. But he was one of the neighborhood dads who looked out for everyone. He would take kids in and help them out.

This is what kids want to see. You see these Playstations, they scoring 50 and 60 with one player, that's what they want to see on TV and I don't go with that.

In my day I think the toughest was Derek Harper. The old-school Derek Harper. He was tough. He had the most toughest, nastiest game ever. I hated playing against him because he would always try to rip you, and try to talk to you. People just didn't really know that about Derek Harper. I used to hate bringing the ball up against him, really.

I'm not going to sit here and dwell on whether or not I am going to the Hall of Fame.

I was really scared when I went to Oregon State. I wasn't sure I could play at the college level.

As people know in coaching, you can get fired and hired just like that.

People always talk about first-ballot Hall of Famer and all that stuff, but it doesn't really make a difference. Once you get in there, you're a Hall of Famer. It doesn't matter if you get in on the first, second or third ballot. It's the same thing.

George Gervin was my childhood idol since I was little. In Oakland I had all his posters on my wall.

I've always liked Deron Williams because has the same mentality as me.

Kobe Bryant, to me, is still the best basketball player in my mind. He played with me and he was in my era. I still love him to death. He's a little brother to me.

When you talk back to me and say something to me it made my game go to another level.

I haven't gotten in any trouble off the floor.

You don't hear about me being at parties, going out and gettin' drunk.

I want to finish my career in Seattle but it's rocky.

Money and all that stuff doesn't equal a ring, because you'll always be in the books as winning a championship and being on one of the best teams ever to play the game.

I've already gotten the big paychecks. I'll be fine.

It's just a great honor to even be associated with the Hall of Fame and get in. If I eventually do make it, it will be a great honor, and I don't care if it's the first or second time because it's an honor for anyone to make the Hall of Fame.

I'm not going to go to a team that's losing. I think that would be disrespectful to me to trade me to somebody like that.

It's always going to have an effect when your father comes up and scolds you in front of a lot of people.

I'm not a jealous guy.

If you see yourself in the paper every day and people keep talking about you, you will have a little breakdown in yourself, too.

I've done did a lot of things in the NBA, made a lot of stuff, so I'm happy with what I've done.

I think if you ask any young guy if they would want a career like Gary Payton, they would tell you yes.

I am going to go on with my life, and if they call me and say 'Yo, you are going to be in the Hall of Fame or you are going to be in this,' then I am going to say, 'So be it.' If I make it, I will go to the ceremony, and I'll have fun.

I've got a lot of stats. I did a lot of stuff.

You make sacrifices. You sacrifice yourself. Do you want to possibly win a championship? Or do you want to be the same person you were when you were 20 and get those same numbers?

When I was playing, it was me playing both ends of the floor, playing offense, playing defense and I gave the ball up with assists. It wasn't like me doing one thing, scoring 25 and having three assists and one steal.

I was guarding the best player and getting 25 and having eight assists, and three-four steals.

Basketball has turned into an offensive-minded situation. They don't play on both ends. They don't play defense.

I've done everything - All-Stars, Olympics. The only thing I haven't done is win MVP of the league. There's nothing else I haven't accomplished.

My family played a big part of my success.

To Seattle, Washington, the SuperSonics organization and its fans, the best owners ever in the Ackerley family, I love you. But the best part is that you loved me back.

Gary Payton is evolving, but GP is in the Hall of Fame.

I'm humble.

I don't need to be in New York. If you've had a bad game, they're booing you and all that mess.

I will not go to Oklahoma and retire my jersey there.