Chapter 1264: Chapter 400: God Will Not Forgive Those Who Give Up Opportunities

At this moment, a Mercedes-Benz appeared at the entrance of the rehab center, and a man wearing sunglasses emerged from the back seat.

Reporters swarmed immediately, the man remained expressionless, only with his characteristic crooked mouth.

“Gary, is it true that Shawn is nearly bankrupt due to the high child support payments for his illegitimate children?”

“How many illegitimate children does he actually have? 7 or 11?”

“There’s news that Shawn will be one of the top 16 stars in the Supersonic Team’s 40th-anniversary celebration. Is this news reliable?”

Gary Payton ignored the reporters, acting as if they didn’t exist.

At this moment, staff from the rehab center escorted out a tall but extremely thin guy.

He was none other than the most popular power forward and tyrant of the 90s, the creator of countless classic moments, Shawn Kemp.

Just a few months ago, Shawn Kemp clearly got another chance to play. His teammate from the Supersonics era, now Dallas Mavericks head coach Avery Johnson, had invited Kemp to Dallas for a tryout and successfully signed him to a contract.

Having obtained the contract, Shawn Kemp was very excited, so he decided to celebrate by using some cocaine.

Afterward, everyone knows what happened; he was sent to rehab by the League, and his hopes of returning with the Mavericks were completely shattered.

Gary Payton looked at the destitute Shawn Kemp and couldn’t help but curse softly, “God damn it! Look at his sorry state!”

The Glove found it difficult to associate the current thin, dispirited, and listless Shawn Kemp with the flying and invincible Reign Man of the 90s.

Of course, he had only himself to blame for ending up like this.

Ever since being abandoned by the Supersonics, Shawn Kemp was completely finished.

In Cleveland, he indulged in women crazily, tirelessly sowing seeds like a diligent farmer.

Later, even women couldn’t satisfy him, and he began dabbling in drugs. It started with marijuana, then moved to cocaine. While playing in Orlando, he grew as fat as a pig, and now due to drugs, he’s thin as a bamboo stick. He thought he was having fun, but in fact, drugs were toying with him.

Shawn Kemp looked at Payton, who came to pick him up, and hung his head in shame.

Payton approached without comforting him, instead, he shouted, “You’ve fucking fried your brain!”

What many people didn’t know is that Shawn Kemp always maintained a good personal relationship with Gary Payton.

In 2020, when Shawn Kemp opened his own cannabis store in the marijuana-legal city of Seattle, Gary Payton attended the event despite controversy and bought a box of cannabis cookies.

And precisely because of their good relationship, Gary Payton felt free to criticize him bluntly.

The two got into the car, leaving under the reporters’ flashing lights.

Shawn Kemp remained silent throughout, finally speaking when the car entered Seattle’s downtown and passed by KeyArena, which held their fond memories, he buried his head in shame, “I’m such a fucking fool.”

“That’s the most truthful thing you’ve said in years,” Gary Payton remarked sarcastically, yet he finally patted the Reign Man on the shoulder, “So, what do you plan to do next?”

“I want to end my career the right way, I’ll keep working hard to see if I can get a contract with an NBA team.”

“Ending his career the right way” might just be part of Shawn Kemp’s wish; more realistically, he needed the money.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t even have the means to pay the high child support fees coming up.

He couldn’t rely on Gary Payton’s aid for the rest of his life.

“Don’t mess it up again, Shawn, think of the past, remember our glory, then look at what you’ve become now, damn!”

“Alright, Gary, I won’t screw it up this time. What about you? Have you found your next team?”

At the mention of this, Gary Payton’s brows furrowed even deeper.

He looked out the window, not answering.

Just a week ago, the New York Knicks announced signing Steve Blake, a third-year white guard. This meant Gary Payton lost his spot.

The Knicks declined to renew his contract; they’d rather sign a third-year rookie with just 15 career starts than give him another chance.

This greatly hurt Gary Payton’s pride.

Currently, almost no contending team was extending an olive branch to Gary Payton; his time with the Spurs and Knicks had exhausted people’s remaining expectations for him.

He currently only had an offer from the Miami Heat, where Pat Riley hoped Gary Payton could inject a tough mentality into the locker room.

The Miami Heat had good talent, and after emerging from the shadow of the gun incident, they might become a playoff team next season.

But to compete for a championship? That seemed impossible.

Thus, Gary Payton hesitated.

If he couldn’t compete for a championship, what was the point of persisting?

The Reign Man understood everything when Gary Payton didn’t speak.

He sighed; nine years ago, they fought their way out of the West and battled Roger in the finals.

Nine years later, he and Gary Payton sat in a car, worried about their next job.

Posters of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis filled the streets of Seattle, as if the Glove and Reign Man had never existed.

This was the end of an era.

“No matter what, Gary,” Kemp didn’t press him on, “No matter what, don’t give up on the opportunities you still have. That’s the most profound lesson I’ve learned this time. If it weren’t for my own actions, I should be holding a contract with the Dallas Mavericks right now. God won’t forgive those who give up opportunities because he won’t let them appear a second time.”