When I went in to Seattle, I had eight veterans who were in the league over six or seven years. That was a plus for me, to teach me how to respect somebody.

What's the difference? Ninety million or 80 million. You still can't spend it all.

Assistants like Tim Grgurich worked with me and watched film of me from my Oregon State days.

I got suspended from school once, and my dad came to the school and whooped me in front of everyone. I didn't want that to happen again, didn't want to be embarrassed like that. The guys that I ran with, they respected that and respected my dad too.

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

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'm humble.

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

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.

My family played a big part of my success.

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.

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

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

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.

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?

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

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

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.

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'm not a jealous guy.

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 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 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.