Jerry West Left While Scouting A Young Gary Payton Because Of His Poor Attitude On The Court

Jerry West once scouted Gary Payton when he was in college and his behavior on the court caused the legendary Laker to leave.

Credit: Ben Queen/USA Today Sports

Jerry West's hands are all over some of the greatest dynasties in the NBA. The Logo was one of the greatest players to take the court, but his role as an executive and talent appraiser has seen him put together masterpiece after masterpiece. West was integral to the Showtime Lakers, and he was also instrumental in building the Golden State Warriors. His recent achievements include bringing Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers. 

So it's safe to say that Jerry West knows what he's doing when he's assessing players for teams he is a part of to draft. And when Gary Payton was in college, he was a player that most teams in the league considered to be someone that would be a star in the league. But GP was fiery a personality in college just as he was in the league, and his behavior on the court nearly cost him. 

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Gary Payton Kicked A Ball On The Court In Anger And It Caused Jerry West To Leave, Which Led Him To Change His Behavior

When league executives go to watch prospective players, they look for more than just talent. The right attitude is important for any player to make it to the top, and that's something scouts always look out for. This is apparent in this story of when West went to watch Payton play. 

"Jerry West was there the night Payton pulled his Garo Yepremian act at Pauley. A few minutes after the incident, West, the Los Angeles Lakers' general manager, was seen leaving his seat. News of West's walkout was passed along to Payton, who vowed to scrub clean his on-court behavior. 

"With help from his closest friend, Aaron Goodwin of Oakland, Payton has made long strides this season toward toning down his extracurricular activities. Payton still loves to "talk a good game," as he puts it, but he is several decibels quieter than before."

Gary Payton was drafted by the Seattle Supersonics and would go on to become an 11-time All-Star, one of the best the game has seen at the point guard position. This visit from West and the aftermath had an impact on GP, and it was good for him, considering that harnessing this aggression made him the legendary star he turned out to be in the league. 

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