Get to know... Gary Payton

Former basketball player Gary Payton (@Gary.Payton.20) says his kids are the highlight of his life. He misses his parents and is currently craving a Big Mac

Get to know... Gary Payton

Currently I am

Fondly recalling the 3-point challenge at the BUDX NBA house. We we’re trying to get people to enjoy basketball and get another player to join the NBA.

High point in life

Having my kids. Basketball created me a little bit. But becoming a father is the highlight of my life.

Low point in life

When my parents died. The kid growing up in Oakland, California, never thought that he would be as popular as I am now. They raised me to be who I am, and be where I’m at right now.

On my playlist

One More Chance, by Biggie Smalls; The Ghetto, by Too $hort; Ghost Ride It by J-Diggs. I’m a big Bay Area fan, so I like E-40 and Too $hort.

One thing I would never buy

A cheetah or a lion. Where would you even house it? Even having a dog is almost like having one of your kids.

Today I’m craving

A Big Mac, from McDonald’s.

Last thing I ordered online

Some Vitamin C. I have them in my bag right now.

App I check before bed

It used to be Instagram. Now, I play a game on my phone called Dominoes.

Advice I’d give my 18-year-old self

I wouldn’t give myself any advice, because then I wouldn’t be Gary Payton. I think God put me as the way I should be. I want to go through the ups and downs that I went through. That’s the only way I learn.

My favourite subject in school

Math. I’m very good at numbers. Very, very good.

I’d swipe right on

No one. Never. Why would you want to? I have to come in person to meet you. That’s being more realistic. On an app, you can’t look someone in the eye and see if they’re real. I think I’d like to meet somebody in person and do it the old school way. I want to take you out, date you a lot.

My secret skill is

I play darts, cards, shoot pool. I’m very good at baseball.

A superpower I wish I had

I wish I was invisible. That way, I can sneak on a lot of things, like into somebody’s meeting and see what they’re up to.

My favourite Sunday memory

Watching NFL football. I’m a big San Francisco 49ers fan, and I enjoyed watching Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott.

My favourite bad habit

Oh, that’s a good one. I think it’s eating late at night, candy and stuff like that before going to sleep.

The best thing about fame

That you get to meet more famous people that you’d have never met otherwise, and they want to meet you too.

The worst thing about fame

Your privacy. You don’t have a lot of it.People believe that you’re obligated to do things for them, in times like when you’re trying to spend time with your family at dinner, and they come up to you asking for an autograph or a picture. I get what Michael Jackson went through.