Prior to the start of Friday’s contest against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Golden State Warriors hosted a special pregame ceremony for a member of the 2021-22 NBA championship team.
Along with a video tribute, the Warriors provided Gary Payton II with his 2021-22 NBA championship ring. Draymond Green was the one who presented his former teammate with his new piece of jewelry in front of the Chase Center crowd in San Francisco.
Via @anthonyVslater on Twitter:
Gary Payton II gets a tribute video and his championship ring from the Warriors, presented by Draymond Green pic.twitter.com/0yXRkGmb58
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 31, 2022
Via @Dubs408 on Twitter:
Draymond presents Gary Payton II with his Ring pic.twitter.com/qAkfMrIsp8
— Alex 👋 (@Dubs408) December 31, 2022
Payton II quickly became a fan-favorite in his two-season stint with the Warriors. Over two seasons, Payton II averaged 6.5 points on 62.2% shooting from the field with 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 14.5 minutes per game.
Payton II played a key role in Golden State’s run to a championship last season. Although he missed 10 games in the postseason, Payton II averaged 6.5 points on 65.9% shooting from the floor with 3.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals in 16.9 minutes per contest in the 2022 playoffs.
Friday marked Payton II’s first return to Chase Center since he signed with the Portland Trail Blazers over the offseason. Payton II has yet to make his debut with the Blazers while recovering from his core muscle injury.
This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
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