Payton enjoys mingling with Filipino fans in third PH visit

Gary Payton during the meet-and-greet at the NBA Store in Glorietta. Photo by Mark Giongco

NBA legend Gary Payton will meet and interact with avid fans in basketball hotbed Cebu where the fourth NBA Store in the Philippines opens on Thursday at Ayala Center.

Payton, a one-time NBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist, arrived in Manila on Tuesday and had lengthy talk with the Filipino media at the flagship NBA Store at Glorietta 3 in Makati during the meet-and-greet in the evening.

The store in Cebu is also the first in the Visayas region, bringing the NBA experience to more fans across the country.

During his media availability, Payton was overwhelmed with the number of people who showed up to catch him in the flesh, ask for autographs and take selfies.

“A lot of these NBA fans have never seen me in person and now they got to see me in person and that’s great. I’m having fun coming in cities like this and seeing how popular I am and bringing a turnout like this—it’s great for me to do that,” said the 48-year-old Payton, who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.

Payton had a celebrated NBA career that lasted 17 years. He was a nine-time All-Star and 10-time All-Defensive Team member.

Nicknamed “The Glove” for his defensive prowess, Payton is in town for the third time. He, along with former stars Chris Webber, Glen Rice and Mitch Richmond, played in front of Filipino fans during the NBA Asia Challenge in 2010 held at Araneta Coliseum.