NBA Preview 2001: Payton puts more muscle in his hustle

Gary Payton slipped on a gray, designer sweatshirt over his black silk undershirt after leading the Sonics to an exhibition victory over the Kings on Friday.

The 6-foot-4 guard put on matching sweatpants. Black leather shoes were the final touch before departing the visitors' locker room at Sacramento's Arco Arena. Opponents may have a tough time determining how Payton has remained as dominant as ever heading into his 12th NBA season. The 33-year-old provided a clue.

"I had new suits made," Payton said. "The coats were kind of snug. The pants were getting a little bit snug. I adjusted a couple of them and I feel good about it. I think everybody is liking the weight."

After relying for so long on a body that seemed to disregard the laws of nature, Payton has started to develop habits to slow his athletic biological clock.

Beginning in the summer, Payton conducted a weightlifting regimen for the first time in his basketball career. Payton weighs 190 pounds, 10 more than he has carried over the past several seasons.

The new muscles were more detectable at the start of training camp, Oct. 2, when Payton weighed 198. But over the past three weeks, Payton shed eight pounds, and intends to play at the current weight for the rest of his career.

"Getting a little bigger and getting a little strong will help me a lot," explained Payton, who averaged 23.1 points, 8.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds last season. "So staying strong and staying fit is a big part of my game right now. I know if I can stay that way, I can play basketball with anybody."

Payton still has the body fat of lettuce. But his sinewy physique is buttressed by bigger biceps and a chest that protrudes oh-so slightly.

"His percent body fat is as low as it's always been," said Dwight Daub, Seattle's strength-and-conditioning coach, who came up with Payton's regimen. "Even though he may be a couple pounds heavier, it's all muscle. And muscle is much more efficient than fat. It definitely won't slow him down."

Some players have trouble playing with heavier physiques. It's been a seamless adjustment for Payton.

"I'm getting stronger and stronger," Payton said. "And I'm feeling good about it. There's nothing wrong with my shot or anything like that."

Last season, there were whispers that Payton had started to slip, particularly on the defensive end. Payton no longer has the catlike speed that once allowed him to move laterally quicker than some players move forward. But an overlooked reason for Payton's diminished explosiveness last season were injuries, particularly a groin pull.

Sacramento's Rick Adelman was part of the coaching staff for the Western Conference All-Star team last year. During warmups, Adelman noticed that Payton had trouble simply jogging.

"I think what happened with Gary last year is he was beat up," Adelman said. "He was sore, and it's hard when you're playing the minutes he's playing to not lose something somewhere."

Throughout his career, Payton has been like Wolverine, the comic-book superhero with special healing powers. But last season, an abdominal strain forced Payton to miss a game because of injury for the first time since 1992. It was a sign that even Payton's uncanny recuperative abilities were taken away by Father Time.

"It's an eye-opener when you get an injury, and then it doesn't heal the way you want it to," said Payton, who missed two games because of the injury. "But I really thought about (lifting) after my thigh was slowing me down."

Coach Nate McMillan can understand why Payton waited until now to finally start lifting weights. The former Sonics swingman shunned weights during his 12-year career.

"I really didn't like lifting," McMillan said. "But I think once you see what it does for your body, you start believing that it will help. And that's what happened with Gary.

"He wanted to come into this season proving to not only our fans but people across the country that he is still one of the top guards in the league."

Payton didn't find it necessary to lift weights through most of his career because his strength belied his scrawny frame. When Payton fights for a rebound or loose ball with a bigger player, it's little surprising when the point guard forcefully yanks it away.

"He has what's called functional strength," Daub explained. "He's functionally very, very strong because of his understanding of different angles and leverage. It's biomechanics. He's just extremely blessed to do that. He's probably the best I've ever seen at having that naturally."

Payton realizes that added muscle and strength can help prevent injuries. So the former string-bean has been like Tony Atlas in the Sonics' weight room. It was the first offseason that Payton concentrated on weightlifting instead of basketball.

By the end of training camp, Payton was atop Seattle's workout board, which is used to track weightlifting sessions of players. But Payton still won't change his diet. Before a game, the point guard occasionally gobbles up hot dogs minutes before gobbling up opponents.

"I still eat hotdogs and stuff like that," Payton admitted. "I'm not going to tell you that will stop. That's a lie. I'm a picky eater so I'm going to eat the same things I eat."

Because of Payton's unique metabolism, an appetite for junk food hasn't altered his physique. His stomach remains as flat as an ironing board. And the new muscles have spread to all the right places.

"His metabolism is different than a normal person," Daub said. "Now, who's to say whether eventually that will catch up to him? I can't answer that. When he's 45 or 50 probably."

Although Payton previously shunned weightlifting, he always worked on his game during the offseason. Payton spends every summer honing skills in individual workouts, then enters the season with a new dimension. Early in Payton's career, his long-range jumper fluttered like a knuckleball. Now, Payton has a three-point stroke. And a few seasons ago, he mastered the turnaround and a pull-up jumper.

"He's always been a guy who spends time to improve in the offseason wherever he feels he needs to," McMillan said. "Now, he feels he needs to be stronger."

The continued development is why Payton's statistics improved virtually every season until he reached a peak. And Payton's vast repertoire is evidence that he will remain a top guard beyond this season. In two games against the Kings last week, their more athletic players looked almost helpless against the old man.

"He doesn't play above the rim," Adelman said of Payton. "He plays with his head. Like tonight, he got three or four baskets just because he read the situation.

"You can talk about Gary like you talk about John Stockton and Karl Malone. They slip in certain areas (physically), but they are so good and so smart they make up for that."

Payton hopes to make it into his late 30s as a top guard and uses Stockton as a model.

"I think I'm at my peak right now," said Payton, who turns 34 on July 23. "I don't think I've slowed down. I know that the quickness is going to go away. It can go away in two or three years. It's a mind game now. You've got to think about John Stockton. He's the same way."

What would Payton do if his skills suddenly took a precipitous drop?

"I'm going to have to quit the game," Payton replied. "If it comes in two years that I feel that I'm fading off, I'm going to quit."

Whether Payton finishes his career in Seattle remains unanswered. A few months ago, the point guard sought an extension, and was rebuffed by management. The decision indicated that Payton — who becomes a free agent in the summer of 2003 — isn't likely to finish his career in Seattle.

"I would like to get extended here," Payton said, "But I'm not worried about that right now. What you worry about is if you win basketball games and make this team better, then everything will come."

Payton came into training camp with a new attitude just as impressive as his new muscles. Throughout the summer, McMillan encouraged — and insisted — that Payton alter his domineering personality, which was compounded by shirking responsibilities off the court.

Payton has embraced Seattle's new offense, which promotes ball movement and trusting teammates. The point guard has doled out pointers to his younger teammates with the right mix of encouragement and admonishment.

At a recent practice, Payton's team lost, forcing it to run grueling sprints. Although the workout was winding down, Payton hustled to easily beat out teammates.

"His willingness to help guys and be positive is better than we've ever seen," said club president Wally Walker. "I'm sure there's going to be bumps in the road. But we've seen evidence that he means it."

Does the change stem from the shock of nearly being traded this summer? Is Payton giving an Oscar-caliber performance to garner an extension from the Sonics? Or is it too early to determine if Payton has really changed?

That subject should be answered this season, especially during tough times.

"No one will embrace a losing streak," McMillan said. "I don't expect myself to. If Gary is a calm guy, all of a sudden people will say Gary doesn't care anymore. We'll just have to wait and see what happens."

When it comes to Payton's skills, there's no question that the point guard remains at his peak. Gary Payton altered his body — and his suits — and plans to stay among the best for quite a while.

"I'm still the same Gary," Payton said, smiling. "I'm still getting to the bucket. It's just that now it's with some muscle."

Nunyo Demasio can be reached at 206-515-5699 or ndemasio@seattletimes.com.