Monique James

About

Celebrity relative and humanitarian best known for being the ex-wife of former NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton, who is widely considered to be one of the best point guards of all time, and the mother of professional basketball player Gary Payton II. She has served as the Executive Director Chair of the Gary Payton II Foundation, a non-profit organization aimed at raising Dyslexia-awareness and promoting early screening. She has also earned recognition for hosting the Outta Pocket Radio Show, which has earned acclaim as one of the top sports talk shows in the Las Vegas, NV area.

Before Fame

She has been passionate about athletics since childhood and, while attending Skyline High School in Oakland, CA, she competed in both basketball and track. She went on to become a star guard at Merritt College and was considered to be one of the greatest guards in the school's history.

Trivia

She founded the Women Standing Tall non-profit organization in 2015 to aid women facing adversity. Through her organization, she helped raise funds and awareness for the LifeLong AIDS Alliance and Project Angel Food.

Family Life

She married Gary "The Glove" Payton Sr. on July 26, 1997. They remained together until their divorce in 2012. She is the mother of three children, including Raquel, Gary, and Julian.

Associated With

Her son, Gary Payton II, has played alongside Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Buddy Hield on the NBA's Golden State Warriors.