Payton: Lure of title hard to ignore

MIAMI, July 13 — Gary Payton seriously considered accepting a free-agent offer from the Miami Heat last week, but opted instead to join the Los Angeles Lakers because the lure of winning a championship was impossible to ignore. Payton, in Miami for the weekend to participate in a charity event hosted by Alonzo Mourning, said Heat coach Pat Riley offered him a multiyear deal and nearly enticed him to accept it.

HOWEVER, WHEN PAYTON learned that Karl Malone was headed to the Lakers, he said the final choice was easy.
“When Karl said what he was going to go, I figured I couldn’t miss that chance, playing with the Lakers,” Payton said. “With four great players like us playing with each other, we’re going to have a great chance to win a championship.”

Payton and Malone, who can sign free-agent deals with the Lakers on Wednesday, will join Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant on a team that will be heavily favored to win its fourth NBA title in the last five years.
Neither Payton nor Malone have ever won a championship. Both will take significant pay cuts this coming season; Payton will earn $4.9 million, Malone will likely earn $1.4 million.
“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,” Payton said. “And I’ve been in the league 13 years. I’ve already gotten the big paychecks. I’ll be fine.”
Payton averaged 20.4 points and 8.3 assists last season with Seattle and Milwaukee, where he was dealt midway through the year. Although he turns 35 later this month, the numbers he posted last season both exceed his average marks over his career — 18.3 points and 7.4 assists.
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Though he has won an Olympic gold medal and been an All-Star nine times, Payton said his career won’t be complete without a title.
“Adding one of these would just be the icing on my career, saying I did everything that I could possibly do,” Payton said. “This would just make it easy for me to go out without saying I never kissed one of them trophies or wasn’t in a parade.”

http://msnbc.com/news/938410.asp?cp1=1

What I don't like about Payton and Malone going to the Lakers is that Phil Jackson will get all the credit for a team that a high school coach could run. I think he is highly overated. If he is such a good coach go to the Clippers or Grizzlies and win a championship with them. He's always had the best players in the league when he has won anything.

Stonepony,

I agree 100% that he has not earned the title "a great coach" with having great talent to do what he has done.

I agree too that Phil is somewhat overrated, But why be a dumb guy and go to a team and settle with LOSING talent that has no chances of ever winning a championship, I think anyone like yourself and or myself if put in the same position as Phil would rather coach a Michael Jordan,Shaq O'Neil, Kobe Bryant a winning team than lets say some less talented team like the Clippers who never have winning seasons for example were the owner doesn't even bother to re-sign in his history there best players.

You got to remember, The Lakers did have the talent the 1st 3 years before phil was there they had Shaq, Bryant,eddie jones, Van Excel, Cambell,fox, Horry, Fisher, But look what happen those 3 years in the playoffs they got swept each of those 3 years and fired del harris and then kurt rambis as coaches. In 1999, The Lakers only went 31-19 for the season before Phil took over and look what they did in his first season they go to 67-15 of course he still had the great players, But he knows how to get the best out of players potential as Shaq got his first MVP for the season when phil took over, same thing happen with the Bulls when he took over for doug collins, they could never get past detroit, but once he took over the team they won 6 championships, could have won 8 straight had jordan not retired those 2 years for baseball, But even without Jordan there top player they were just 1 win away from getting into the eastern conference finals and won 55 regular season games for the season . Phil also won as a head coach a CBA championship. Yes he has won many championships, But don't you think that in any sport to win a championship you must have great players? Why waste your time coaching a team that has no chance, Like Phil or any other top player they want to win and win now not 5-10 years from now, they don't like losing, especially in the playoffs, That's why the Lakers sign him for a big contract and knew the Players would respect this coach where he has came from, you know winning several championships. I am not saying Phil is the greastest coach, But I don't think the Lakers could have won anything if Del Harris or any other coach was there, Maybe with John wooden they could have won as much, LOL.

Celaya.

Your post is accurate, well thought out and fair. Congratulations.

I've found that people like to root for the underdog and thus hate the favorite. Happens to the Damn yankees all the time.

Ask the laker-haters if they hated the Bulls in the 90's, the Celtics-Lakers through the early 80's, the Pistons when they were winning or even the rockets (the most likeable, unpretencious bunch to win in the past 20 years with the exception of the Spurs. Noboby out-meeks them).

So on one side you have the destroyers, on the other you have the hero makers. I must admit to being one of the later. I like to generate bigger than life ideas of what people are. I like infallible heroes. I think a lot of people do, that's why ratings go up when there is a dominant team.

Whatever kind of fan you are, it all comes down to spending too much time thinking and paying attention to something that shouldn't really matter that much to us: a game played by grown men who get paid inordinate ammounts of money by other grown men.

All said and done, I can't wait for the season to start... feed the junkie in me.