GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 2, 2023

Gary Payton

Media Conference

Q. Gary, health-wise, were you ever a hundred percent last season, and are you a hundred percent right now?

GARY PAYTON II: Yeah, if I had to come back and I had to sit out for a month, it's probably not a good look. But I'm healthy. It doesn't matter. Healthy, ready to go, all 82, hopefully.

Q. Have you been going through some of the workouts and everything?

GARY PAYTON II: I've been doing everything. Fresh, clean summer. Traveling. Playing basketball. No problems, no issues. Ready to go. Ready to go. Excited.

See, look at that.

Q. Draymond was in here and Chris Paul, both, talking about their history and battles and not liking each other. Have you observed any of this yet, and these two, can you imagine the fire of the veterans on this team now with the addition of Chris?

GARY PAYTON II: Yeah, it's going to be wonderful. We don't got to worry about Chris on the other side doing -- bothering us with his antics and Draymond bothering him. So they can bother other guys now. So I'm glad they are on my side and excited to get on the court with them and cause havoc.

Q. You obviously were not here at the start of last season, but how does the general vibe feel different heading into this training camp compared to how last season ended with just how the team was?

GARY PAYTON II: "Connectivity," I want to say, is the word. I think that's the word.

Q. Are you guys getting paid to that?

GARY PAYTON II: That's the word? Oh, that's the word? All right. I'm on a good track.

No, we've had multiple mini-camps throughout the summer. Everybody seems locked in. Chris, he's been asking, wondering, you know, how we do things here and everything. I'm sure it's going to not take him too long to get accustomed and everything. You just put -- just throw Chris in there and I'm sure he'll figure it out sooner or later. Yeah, like I said, just connectiveness; everybody is on the same page, want the same thing and we're pushing to something bigger.

Q. Last year, the motivation factor, didn't end the way you wanted it to, and there's high expectations and new guys. You talk about the connectivity, but what is that sense towards building a championship and being hungry to get back to where you were a couple years ago?

GARY PAYTON II: Just little steps, started in the summer, like I said, and we just keep going. Treat this week like we've been treating every other week we come in, play, and do what we've got to do and continue to take those steps day-by-day. You know we're going to go through some ups and downs, of course, like every team. I think when we need to, you know, split that switch and lock in and really take those steps to play our highest peek at the right time. I think it's going to come. We have too many vets to let that slip away, so I think once again, we just follow our vets and you know, everything's going to be all right.

Q. How good does that Warriors jersey look on Chris Paul?

GARY PAYTON II: I thought you was about to say on me. We both look good in these threads, you know. It's a little different. Took a little second to get used to. I'm sure on Saturday, it will sink in.

Q. You see a lot of guys on Instagram with their summer workouts, they are shooting, they are doing drills. It's easy to see offensive progression but what do you do to work on defense over the summer?

GARY PAYTON II: Guard a lot of guys one-on-one. Go find pickups anywhere, outside, inside. Get a different feel for different types of players. So pretty much just got to go outside and play basketball, basically.

Q. What kind of work do you have to put in during the season to maintain the high level that you have?

GARY PAYTON II: It's really maintaining your body. You know, taking care of your body, after practice, after games, before practice, before games. Making sure you're taking everything that you need to do to get your body back to that full strength and health that you need the next day. Get your sleep, nutrition. A lot things go behind it. Every day, you know task. So just got to be disciplined. But continue to take care of your body and it will come back for you.

Q. You talk about the importance of pickup. How important do you think it was for Klay to get a lot of pickup in this off-season after the last off-season he talked about he wasn't able to do that as much. Where do you see him at right now mentally?

GARY PAYTON II: Mentally, great. Klay is in a great spot. Captain Klay. You know he's on the water a lot and he's on the court so I think that's the two things he loves the most. And it's great to see him a hundred percent. He looks a hundred percent to me. Mental, looks like he's in a great place. Just happy and ready to go, excited about this year, and like you said, he's been playing all summer.

So I'm glad that he got back to that and doing what he loves every day, and you know, not having to worry about this or that. But just have a clear mind.

Q. Physically, how would you compare how you felt like right when you got back last year, maybe like Lakers series, end of last season to now?

GARY PAYTON II: Ready to play 82 right now. I only played, like, what, 15. So that's kind of night and day.

Q. There was some video recently of Steph training on some sand dunes in Dubai, like last week. Curious maybe what your craziest workout you've ever done is, and maybe how Steph sets the tone, we all know his greatness, but he's doing anything he can to get back to the mountain top.

GARY PAYTON II: It's kind of hard to beat that sand dunes in Dubai. But yeah, you know, anything that can get you a little edge or get you a competitive advantage. Everything he comes up with, I know he has his team and they come up with all these things to get your body right, certain things to work on, what he needs to work on. But I've definitely done some sand dunes in my time, maybe in California or something. Anything that can get a little bit more speed, a little bit more strength, a little more agility. I know he's going to go to the wall and be ready. It just gives everybody else motivation to be able to have his back.

Q. What is the significance behind that number, 0, for you?

GARY PAYTON II: It's just me. I came here with it. Did some cool things with it. So might as well go back to it and it can hopefully rewind itself.

You guys are great. Have a great day.