"Does he really hate me because I'm white?" - Jason Williams on how Gary Payton's trash talk set up his iconic 1999 crossover

Jason Williams has arguably one of the most iconic highlight reels in NBA history. Dubbed "White Chocolate," he brought a playground streetball vibe to the league and turned heads with his flashy passing and incredible handles.

Williams had a plethora of notable plays during his career, but one play that fans will likely always remember is his filthy crossover against the legendary Gary Payton back in 1999.

Williams, who was then a rookie running point guard for the Sacramento Kings, raced down the court and hesitated just a little bit, enough for Payton, who was known for his defensive prowess, to close out. As Payton pounced, Williams hit a quick crossover that left Payton in the dust and finished with an easy lay-in.

As it turns out, Williams was getting an earful of trash talk from Payton that night. During his appearance on the Flagrant Podcast with comedian Andrew Schulz back in 2023, Williams explained what went down in that now-iconic play and his experience with one of NBA history's best smack-talkers.

"He was talking so much sh-t to me that game, I was terrified," Williams explained, touching on the fact that Payton was seemingly going after him for his skin color. "Is he serious? Does he really hate me because I'm white?" 

Williams went on to explain that it was more of Payton egging him on to respond to the trash-talking.

"He was just talking, wishing I would say something, and every time he's saying something, he's looking at me like 'Yeah, I wish you would!'" 

Breaking down the crossover

Before putting Payton on a highlight reel, Williams said that he had hit a 30-foot triple on the previous play, prompting The Glove to commit more on defense and setting everything in motion.

"The next time coming down, he had to step up…faked like a little hesi, and it really wasn't like a big crossover like Allen Iverson or anything like I would want to do," Williams said..

Putting Payton on the wrong end of such an iconic play was just the cherry on top, as Williams and the Kings went on to defeat the GP and the Seattle SuperSonics, 109-103 in overtime. Williams finished with 12 points and five assists, while Payton put up a game-high 34 points and ten assists.

Related: Jason Williams shares how Vlade Divac made a teammate work off $70k gambling debt: "From the cockpit to the back, the whole flight"

Williams and Payton won together

Interestingly enough, Williams and Payton went on to become teammates later on in their careers, and even won a championship together in Miami in 2006. Williams was the starting point guard for the Heat that season and averaged a solid 12.3 points and nearly five assists per game. Payton, meanwhile, was the backup floor general and put up a serviceable 7.7 points and 3.2 assists per game.

According to Williams, the crossover was indeed discussed, and it was brought up by none other than another one of their legendary teammates: Shaquille O'Neal.

At the end of the day, however, Williams said that he has nothing but respect for Payton.

"That's my guy, though, to the end. I was fortunate enough to have great teammates, and he ranks right up there. Fabulous dude, I mean fabulous. I wish he was here right now," Williams said. "Gary Payton man, one of the baddest to lace them up." 

Related: Gary Payton explained why he wouldn't trash-talk Dennis Rodman: "I would just play him hard"

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.