'I’m Gonna Change This Place Around': NBA Legend Gary Payton Sr. Promises Big Wins as College of Alameda's New Men's Basketball Coach

In his first press appearance since being named head coach of the College of Alameda men’s basketball team, former NBA star Gary Payton Sr. pledged his commitment to pushing the team toward victory.

The decision to hire Payton was announced earlier this month, following the junior college team’s 7-21 season in the Bay Valley Conference last year.

“I knew that if we got the right person in here, this could be an amazing sports town, an amazing experience for our student athletes,” Ramaundo Vaughn, the school’s athletic director, said at a press conference on Thursday. “Gary genuinely wanted to give back, genuinely wanted to serve the community.”

Payton, who grew up in Oakland and attended Skyline High School, played 17 seasons as a point guard in the NBA, primarily with the Seattle SuperSonics, along with brief stints on the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. In 1996, he became the first point guard to be awarded defensive player of the year. He was named an NBA all-star player nine times and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.

Payton was previously the head basketball coach at Lincoln University, departing earlier this year after three seasons, reportedly amid mounting tensions with the school and its leadership.

On Thursday, Payton said it was important for him to serve the community he grew up in. He added that he wanted to be a father figure for players on the team and help provide them with the resources and stability they need to excel both on and off the court.

“I’m going to get people in here that are going to play basketball, but for sure, they’re going to go to school,” Payton said. “I don’t want my kids to come in here and just think about basketball because not all of them are going to be basketball pros. But they’re going to have to be men. Young men who have to grow up and understand how to raise a family and do things like that.”

Payton, who begins officially leading practices with the Cougars next month when the new season starts, said he would expect a lot of his players but promised to give them a lot back in return.

“I’m gonna change this place around,” he said. “It’s gonna take a little time, but you guys come out, and you’re going to see the difference that we’re going to make here. And that’s all I want.”

Esubalow Thomas, a College of Alameda student who plays for the Cougars, said the prospect of Payton leading the team has been a big motivator for him.

“It’s a great opportunity to have this NBA legend coaching us,” Thomas said. “I’m very proud to have him as our coach and supporting Alameda. Playing for him, every day you come here, you want to give 100%.”