Former NBA Gary Payton II Launches Co-Ed Pro Skateboard League in California

NBA free agent Gary Payton II is launching the Skate Board Association (SBA), a professional coed skateboard league set to debut next summer in Big Bear Lake, California. The league will feature six teams, each with three men and three women athletes, who will receive equal pay, along with reserves and coaches. The SBA aims to revolutionize professional skateboarding by paying athletes salaries and bonuses, rather than prize purses, with top draft picks earning six-figure salaries. Payton, motivated by his childhood love for skateboarding, co-founded the league with Royce Campbell and Sheldon Lewis and will serve as director of VIP relations and team owner. The league has signed 18 athletes, including Olympic and X Games medalists, to non-exclusive contracts, and plans to provide athletes with revenue from merchandise sales and sponsorships to support their livelihoods. Athletes like X Games silver medalist Samarria Brevard have praised the league for offering financial stability and new opportunities for skateboarders.