Gary Payton II admitted he was surprised to be back with the Golden State Warriors after being traded at the deadline from the Portland Trail Blazers. But Payton said he wasn’t surprised he failed his physical.
Payton confirmed he has taken Toradol for pain since his surgery, but clarified that he never took shots of the medicine.
“Me just being a competitor, I wanted to get out there. No shots, though,” Payton said. “I just had to get through it and get it done. The medical stuff wasn’t that big of a deal. I wanted to play and go out there and help my teammates and coaches.”
Payton also said he’s not surprised the Warriors will hold him out for at least a month. He’ll spend the next month on rehab and strength and conditioning. Payton said he hopes that will allow him to return before the start of the playoffs.
“I know my body, so I think I’ll know when I’m ready to go out there and get to be able to be myself,” Payton said. “It took longer than usual, and my body just wasn’t ready. It’s still not ready, so we’ll just take it day by day.”
