Gary Payton Almost Sparked A Brawl After Getting Into It With Jordan Crawford During Heated Big3 Showdown

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Gary Payton prided himself on his ability to get under the skin of his opponents during his time in the NBA, and he apparently hasn’t lost his touch after ending up at the center of an altercation with Jordan Crawford during a Big3 game over the weekend.

It’s been more than 15 years since Gary Payton brought his Hall of Fame career to an end after 17 legendary seasons in the NBA where he was a nine-time All-Star, All-Team honoree, and Defensive Player of the Year winner.

Based on the many stories that have surfaced over the years, Payton firmly earned a place alongside Michael Jordan and Kevin Garnett on the Mount Rushmore of Basketball Trash-Talkers, as he seemingly needed to run his mouth like the rest of us require air to breathe whenever he was on the court.

In 2017, Payton accepted a head coaching job with the Big3, and he currently serves as the man in charge of the Bivouacs, which boasts former NBA players Gerald Green and Corey Brewer.

On Saturday, the team faced off against an Enemies squad featuring Nick Young and Jordan Crawford that was 6-0 on the season before its undefeated streak came to an end after falling to Payton and Co. in a 50-46 loss (the Bivouacs improved to 6-1 with the win).

Crawford did what he could to contribute to the cause in a contest where he scored a game-high 20 points.

However, he was unable to avoid falling victim to Payton’s constant chirping before tensions boiled over when Crawford approached the 56-year-old coach and shoved him before Isaiah Austin and Quincy Miller entered the fray as Jaylen Johnson attempted to play peacekeeper.