The Golden State Warriors had a talented roster during their 2022 NBA championship run.
Sure, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Jordan Poole, and Andrew Wiggins were the stars of the show.
But Gary Payton II played a crucial role as the defensive anchor of the team alongside Green.
Payton averaged 6.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while playing just 16.9 minutes per game during the 2022 playoffs.
The 30-year-old was recently in the headlines for making a notable change for next season, as revealed by the Warriors’ official Twitter handle.
0's back.
GPII will return to his old number for the 2023-24 season ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/K7vwHmWhbz
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) September 21, 2023
According to the tweet, Payton will change his jersey back to No. 0.
He wore the number during his first stint with the Warriors.
However, when he returned to the Dubs last season, No. 0 was already taken by Donte DiVincenzo, so he was forced to wear No. 8 for the team.
Ahead of the 2023-24 season, fans will finally see Payton back in his iconic No. 0 jersey for the team.
Considering he won an NBA championship while wearing the same number, Payton may have announced the change because of superstition.
Either way, the fanbase is glad following the announcement.
As for the Warriors, the organization will hope to bounce back after an underwhelming postseason run last season.
The defending NBA champions were outplayed by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2023 Western Conference semifinals.
Most fans have already written off the Warriors’ dynasty.
But is it truly the end of their almost decade-long dominance in the NBA?
NEXT: Insider Reports Warriors’ Final Decision On Dwight Howard
