AND1 Live Tour introduces NBA legend Gary Payton as new head coach

[LIVE WIRE – 9.22.12] – AND1 Live Tour introduces NBA legend Gary Payton as new head coach

Inks: FLASH aka g_sk1lls
Images and Video Clips: AND1 Live Streetball (via Facebook) / various online sources

The And1 Live Streetball Tour (previously known as the AND1 Mixtape Tour) is set to host a press conference and basketball clinic in Dunlevy Milbank Children Center in Harlem, NY on October 2, 2012.  As indicated in their press release, they are also set to introduce NBA legend Gary Payton as their new head coach.

GP previously played with the AND1 Live squad back in August when the streetball tour made a stop in Latin America.  He joined former NBA players Dennis Rodman, Horace Grant, Nick Van Exel, Bonzi Wells, Theo Ratliff, Dale Davis, and Tim Hardaway as part of the “Legends of Basketball” who joined forces with AND1 Live in providing entertainment on the hardcourt and also giving back to the community by hosting a youth basketball clinic in each city that they visited (San Jose, Costa Rica, Caracas and Valencia, Venezuela).  Click here for our previous blog article about their Latin America tour, and check out the Youtube video highlights posted below.

Video highlights from their Costa Rica stop.

For those of you who may have been too young to remember Payton’s playing days, here’s a short refresher.  He came out of Oregon State University as the 2^nd overall pick in the 1990 draft (after Derrick Coleman) and was known primarily as an outstanding on-ball defender (9-time NBA Defensive First Team).  Nonetheless, he has also selected to the NBA All Star Game 9 times and was a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist (1996, 2000), aside from being named to different All-NBA Teams on multiple occasions.

Young GP playing for Oregon State University.

Jason Kidd talks about learning from Gary Payton.

Mo Williams talks about patterning his style of play after GP's.

Also known as The Glove, Gary Payton played in five NBA teams over the course of his illustrious career.  He has played in 3 NBA Finals series (Seattle Supersonics in 1996, LA Lakers in 2004, and Miami Heat in 2006), finally winning his only title after the Miami Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks in 6 games.  Here are some more of his video highlights.

Click to play the video clips.

Gary’s inclusion to the AND1 Live tour as their new head coach couldn’t have been a more perfect fit.  His in-your-face attitude, trash-talking swagger, and strong and yet professional approach to the game of basketball spells a lot of thrill for the already-electrifying style of play in which the AND1 Live tour is known for.  Truly, exciting times ahead for the squad that is committed to showcase the exhilarating style of streetball/basketball throughout the world. It is known that whenever the AND1 LIVE stars visit a community, their first objective is to inspire the youth to excel in education, and encourage them to stay away from drugs, alcohol and negative behavior.

Watch out for more And1 Live news and updates soon, but for local info, news, and updates, you can follow us in Twitter (@and1ph) and LIKE us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/and1ph).  Big thanks to AND1 President Rob Purvy for sharing this awesome news and shoutouts as well to Linda Hill and Steven Simmons of AND1 Live.  And that’s the 411, AND Juan!

[Post Script / Author’s Musings:]

On a much personal note, I have been fortunate enough to meet him back in 2010 during the NBA Asia Challenge here in the Philippines.  He is my favorite basketball player of all time, and it was such a thrill meeting GP in person (along with Mark Cerbo aka Cerbojam, fellow AND1 Ph founder and admin).  Couple of images and a video clip have been posted below from that fateful encounter.