Background
He is the son of former National Basketball Association player Gary Payton. Payton was born in Seattle, Washington to Gary and Monique Payton.
college basketball player Association player
He is the son of former National Basketball Association player Gary Payton. Payton was born in Seattle, Washington to Gary and Monique Payton.
He attended Spring Valley High School where he lettered two years in basketball and one year in swimming before graduating in 2011.
As a junior in 2014-2015, the guard was named first-team all-conference as well as defensive player of the year in the Pac-12 Conference. He then enrolled at Westwind Preparatory Academy for the 2011-2012 season. Salt Lake Bruins
Payton played two seasons at Salt Lake Community College in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Payton was named First Team All-SWAC and made Region 18 All-Tournament Team as a freshman.
Oregon State Beavers
During Payton"s sophomore season at Salt Lake Central Committee he signed a letter of intent to play for his father"s alma mater Oregon State under men"s head basketball coach Craig Robinson. Robinson was fired before the start of the 2014-2015 basketball season and was replaced by University of Montana head coach Wayne Tinkle.
Having lost their top five scorers from the previous season Pac-12 coaches picked Oregon State to finish a distant 12th in the 2014-2015 season. In their game against Grambling State Payton recorded 10 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists becoming only the second Beaver ever with a triple-double in a game.
His father, Hall of Famer Gary Payton, is the other Beaver with a triple-double when he had 20 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists against the University of Portland in 1988.
Following a home sweep of the Los Angeles schools Payton was named the January 26, 2015 Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week. During his first season at Oregon State Payton led his team in multiple categories: scoring, rebounds and steals. On February 1, 2016, he was named one of 10 finalists for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award.
He was named to the 35-man midseason watchlist for the Naismith Trophy on February 11.
He is most known for his dunking on top plays and his defensive intensity. College Awards & Honors
2× First-team All-Pac-12 (2015, 2016)
2× Pac-12 All-Defensive Team (2015, 2016)
Bob Cousy Award Finalist (2016).
He averaged 9.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.9 steals per game as a freshman (2012-2013) and led the Bruins to a 29-5 overall record and 14-1 mark in the Scenic West Athletic Conference (SWAC), where they won the Region 18 Championship and outright SWAC title in 2013. In his sophomore year he averaged 14.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game earning him Second Team NJCAA Division I All-American and was voted 2014 Region 18 Company-Player of the Year and Region 18 Tournament Most Valuable Player. The Bruins finished with a 27-7 overall record and won their second consecutive Region 18 Championship. On March 9, 2015 Pac-12 coaches voted Payton to the All Pac-12 First Team, All Pac-12 Defensive Team and named him the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. 2x Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year (2015, 2016).
