NBA free agent Gary Payton II is launching a professional skateboard league, the Skate Board Association (SBA), a coed, six-team street league with a 10-game inaugural season next summer in Big Bear Lake, California, according to ESPN’s Alyssa Roenigk.
Payton, who last played for the Golden State Warriors, co-founded the league with Royce Campbell and Sheldon Lewis, inspired by his childhood love for skateboarding.
“Growing up, I always wanted to be a skateboarder. The skate park was right next to the basketball court,” he said. “I’d skate there with my friends and they’d skate the park and I’d hoop.”
The SBA will pay athletes salaries and bonuses, share merchandise revenue, and ensure equal pay for men and women.
The league has already signed 18 athletes, including Olympic medalists Kelvin Hoefler, Ryan Decenzo, Pamela Rosa, Manny Santiago, and Samarria Brevard. Payton will serve as director of VIP relations and own one of the six teams.
“This is a game changer and will create avenues for us that weren’t there before,” Brevard said.
Payton added, “I want the skaters to be valued, and to get them the right sponsorships so they can take care of their bodies, take care of their families, buy their own crib. If I can change the game for them, that’s a win.”
The league plans to expand into an NBA-style operation with multiple venues, training facilities, and an annual draft combine. Payton hopes other professional athletes will also become team owners, combining their love for skateboarding with sports management.
“To be an owner of an SBA skate team is bringing us back to playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater, picking the guys, picking the brands to skate for. So many people have that connection to skateboarding,” he said.
