View source for Gary Payton

{{short description|American basketball former player (born 1968)}}
{{About|the former basketball player|his son and active basketball player|Gary Payton II|the astronaut|Gary Payton (astronaut)|the actor|Khary Payton}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Gary Payton
| image = Gary Payton, Miami Heat circa 2007 (cropped).jpg
| image_size = 230
| caption = Payton with the [[Miami Heat]] in 2007
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|07|23}}
| birth_place = [[Oakland, California]], U.S.
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lb = 190
| high_school = [[Skyline High School (Oakland, California)|Skyline]] (Oakland, California)
| college = [[Oregon State Beavers men's basketball|Oregon State]] (1986–1990)
| draft_year = 1990
| draft_round = 1
| draft_pick = 2
| draft_team = [[Seattle SuperSonics]]
| career_start = 1990
| career_end = 2007
| career_position = [[Point guard]]
| career_number = 2, 20
| years1 = {{nbay|1990|start}}–{{nbay|2002|end}}
| team1 = [[Seattle SuperSonics]]
| years2 = {{nbay|2002|end}}
| team2 = [[Milwaukee Bucks]]
| years3 = {{nbay|2003|full=y}}
| team3 = [[Los Angeles Lakers]]
| years4 = {{nbay|2004|full=y}}
| team4 = [[Boston Celtics]]
| years5 = {{nbay|2005|start}}–{{nbay|2006|end}}
| team5 = [[Miami Heat]]
| cyears1 = [[2017 Big3 season|2017]]–2021
| cteam1 = [[3 Headed Monsters]]
| cyears2 = 2022–2024
| cteam2 = [[Big3|Bivouac]]
| cyears3 = 2025–present
| cteam3 = [[Boston Ball Hogs]]
| highlights = '''As player:'''
* [[NBA champion]] ({{nbafy|2006}})
* 9× [[NBA All-Star]] ({{nasg|1994}}–{{nasg|1998}}, {{nasg|2000}}–{{nasg|2003}})
* 2× [[All-NBA First Team]] ({{nbay|1997|end}}, {{nbay|1999|end}})
* 5× [[All-NBA Second Team]] ({{nbay|1994|end}}–{{nbay|1996|end}}, {{nbay|1998|end}}, {{nbay|2001|end}})
* 2× [[All-NBA Third Team]] ({{nbay|1993|end}}, {{nbay|2000|end}})
* [[NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award|NBA Defensive Player of the Year]] ({{nbay|1995|end}})
* 9× [[NBA All-Defensive First Team]] ([[1993–94 NBA season|1994]]–[[2001–02 NBA season|2002]])
* [[List of National Basketball Association annual steals leaders|NBA steals leader]] ({{nbay|1995|end}})
* [[NBA annual assists leader|NBA assists leader]] ({{nbay|1999|end}})
* [[NBA All-Rookie Second Team]] ({{nbay|1990|end}})
* [[NBA 75th Anniversary Team]]
* Consensus first-team [[NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|All-American]] ([[1990 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|1990]])
* [[Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year|Pac-10 Player of the Year]] (1990)
* 3× [[List of All-Pac-12 Conference men's basketball teams|All-Pac-10]] (1988–1990)
* [[Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Year|Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year]] (1987)
* [[Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Freshman of the Year|Pac-10 Rookie of the Year]] (1987)
* No. 20 [[Oregon State Beavers men's basketball#Retired numbers|retired by Oregon State Beavers]]
* [[USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year]] (1999)
| stats_league = NBA
| stat1label = [[Point (basketball)|Points]]
| stat1value = 21,813 (16.3 ppg)
| stat2label = [[Rebound (basketball)|Rebounds]]
| stat2value = 5,269 (3.9 rpg)
| stat3label = [[Assist (basketball)|Assists]]
| stat3value = 8,966 (6.7 apg)
| bbr = paytoga01
| HOF_player = gary-payton
| medal_templates = {{MedalSport|Men's [[basketball]]}}
{{MedalCountry|the {{USA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Basketball at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Atlanta]]|[[1996 United States men's Olympic basketball team|Team competition]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Sydney]]|[[2000 United States men's Olympic basketball team|Team competition]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIBA Americas Championship]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1999 Tournament of the Americas|1999 San Juan]]|Team competition}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1989 Tournament of the Americas|1989 Mexico City]]|Team competition}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup|FIBA U19 World Championship]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1987 FIBA Under-19 World Championship|1987 Bormio]]|Team competition}}
| team = Boston Ball Hogs
| position = Coach
| league = [[Big3]]
}}
'''Gary Dwayne Payton Sr.'''<ref name=br>{{cite basketball-reference|id=p/paytoga01|accessdate=September 10, 2024}}</ref> (born July 23, 1968) is an American former professional [[basketball]] player who played in the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) for 17 seasons. Widely considered one of the greatest [[point guard]]s of all time, he is best known for his 13-year tenure with the [[Seattle SuperSonics]], where he holds franchise records in assists and steals and led them to an [[NBA Finals]] [[1996 NBA Finals|appearance]]. He also played with the [[Milwaukee Bucks]], [[Los Angeles Lakers]] (with whom he made his second Finals appearance in [[2004 NBA Finals|2004]]), the [[Boston Celtics]], and [[Miami Heat]]. Payton won an NBA championship with the Heat in 2006. Nicknamed "'''the Glove'''" for his defensive abilities, Payton was inducted into the [[Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame]] in 2013.<ref>[http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/23544934/video-gary-paytons-hall-of-fame-induction-video-and-speech Gary Payton's Hall of Fame induction video and speech]</ref> In October 2021, Payton was named to the [[NBA 75th Anniversary Team]].<ref>{{cite web |title=NBA's 75 Anniversary Team Players |url=https://www.nba.com/75 |website=NBA.com |access-date=January 4, 2022}}</ref>

Payton is the first point guard to win the [[NBA Defensive Player of the Year]] award, and the only point guard winner in the award's first 39 years, until [[Marcus Smart]] was selected in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dimemag.com/2007/10/hall-of-fame-watch-gary-payton/ |title=The H.O.F. Watch – Gary Payton |publisher=Dimemag.com |date=October 4, 2007 |access-date=September 21, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100718001246/http://dimemag.com/2007/10/hall-of-fame-watch-gary-payton/ |archive-date=July 18, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-GreatestPointGuards |title=10 greatest point guards ever |publisher=[[ESPN]] |date=May 11, 2006 |access-date=September 21, 2010}}</ref> He was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team nine times, an NBA record he shares with [[Michael Jordan]], [[Kevin Garnett]], and [[Kobe Bryant]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 9, 2011 |title=NBA announces all-defensive team |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=6516619 |access-date=May 9, 2011 |website=ESPN.com|agency=Associated Press}}</ref> He was also a nine-time NBA All-Star and a nine-time All-NBA Team member. Payton was called "probably as complete a guard as there ever was"<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news|url=https://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_38_224/ai_65644912/pg_4?tag=artBody;col1 |title=Gold Glove &#124; Sporting News, The &#124; Find Articles at BNET |publisher=Findarticles.com |date=September 18, 2000 |access-date=September 21, 2010 |first=Phil |last=Barber}}</ref> by Basketball Hall of Famer [[Gail Goodrich]].

==Early life==
Gary Dwayne Payton was born on July 23, 1968, in [[Oakland, California]].<ref name=br/> He attended [[Skyline High School (Oakland, California)|Skyline High School]],<ref name=newsgn>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gw8pAAAAIBAJ&pg=2294%2C6827184 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |title=Beavers make Oakland guard newest signee |date=November 27, 1985 |page=2B}}</ref> where he excelled in [[basketball]] along with former NBA player [[Greg Foster (basketball)|Greg Foster]].

==College career==
Payton attended [[Oregon State Beavers men's basketball|Oregon State University]] in [[Corvallis, Oregon|Corvallis]]. At one point, he wanted to attend [[UTEP Miners men's basketball|The University of Texas at El Paso]], but [[Don Haskins]] later rescinded his offer after Payton was deciding between [[UTEP Miners men's basketball|UTEP]] and [[St. John's Red Storm men's basketball|St. John's]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Haskins |first1=Don |title=Glory Road |last2=Wetzel |first2=Dan |publisher=[[Hachette Book Group]] |year=2015 |isbn=9781401307912 |pages=207–209}}</ref>  In his sophomore year of high school,<ref name=gwitlki>{{cite news |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1990/03/05/121591/gary-talks-it-gary-walks-it-oregon-states-gary-payton-a-loose-jawed-kid-from-the-city-has-quietly-become-the-premier-college-basketball-player-of-the-season-up-in-the-woodsy-precincts-of-corvallis |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Kirkpatrick |first=Curry |title=Gary walks it, Gary talks it |date=March 5, 1990 |page=30}}</ref> his grades plummeted and he was declared academically ineligible. His father encouraged him to focus on school, and he was allowed to play again. Throughout his four-year career at Oregon State, he became one of the most decorated basketball players in school history.

During his senior season in [[1989–90 Oregon State Beavers men's basketball team|1989–90]], Payton was featured in the cover story of ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' on March 5 as the nation's best college basketball player.<ref name=gwitlki/> He was a consensus [[1990 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|All-American]], a three-time [[List of All-Pacific-12 Conference men's basketball teams|All-Pac-10]] selection, and both the [[Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Year|Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year]] and conference [[Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Freshman of the Year|Freshman of the Year]] in 1987. He was the MVP of the Far West Classic tournament three times, the Pac-10 Player of the Week nine times, and named to the Pac-10's All-Decade Team. At the time of his graduation, Payton held the school record for points, [[Field goal (basketball)|field goal]]s, three-point field goals, [[assist (basketball)|assist]]s, and [[steal (basketball)|steals]] – all of which he still holds today except for career points and three-point field goals. During his career at OSU, the Beavers made three [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA tournament]] appearances and one [[1987 National Invitation Tournament|NIT]] appearance. He was elected into OSU's Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Manning |first1=Rob |title=OSU Star Gary Payton Makes Basketball Hall Of Fame |url=https://www.opb.org/news/article/osu-star-gary-payton-makes-hall-of-fame/ |website=www.opb.org |access-date=December 17, 2019 |date=April 8, 2013 |archive-date=December 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217095823/https://www.opb.org/news/article/osu-star-gary-payton-makes-hall-of-fame/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Professional career==
===Seattle SuperSonics (1990–2003)===
Payton was the second overall pick in the [[1990 NBA draft]] by the [[1990–91 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle SuperSonics]], and wound up spending his first 12½ seasons with the Sonics.

In his third career game, Payton recorded his first double-double after recording 13 points and 10 assists in a road win over the Nuggets. On February 23, 1991, Payton recorded his first career triple-double after recording 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in a losing effort to the Suns. The following game, Payton scored only 2 points but dished out 16 assists, a then career-high for him. He joined [[Slick Watts]] and [[Nate McMillan]] as the only SuperSonics' players to have dished out 16 or more assists in his rookie season. Throughout his rookie campaign, Payton recorded 8 point-assist double-doubles, the most by any SuperSonics' player in history. His average for his rookie season is 7.2 points per game, 3.0 rebounds per game, 6.4 assists per game, and 2.0 steals per game.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Gary Payton Career Stats - NBA |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/640/gary-payton |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=ESPN |language=en}}</ref>

Entering the league to star-studded expectations, Payton struggled during his first two seasons in the league, averaging 8.2 points per game during that span. In his [[1991–92 Seattle SuperSonics season|second]] season, Payton recorded 2 triple-doubles on the whole season joining Slick Watts and Nate McMillan at that time to have recorded 2 triple-doubles in a season in Supersonics franchise history. He scored a season-high 22 points to go along with 7 assists in a road win over the Bullets on November 19, 1991. His season average is 9.4 points per game, 3.6 rebounds per game, 6.2 assists per game, 1.8 steals per game, and 0.3 blocks per game.<ref name=":0" />

Payton soon proved himself to be one of the league's top [[point guard]]s during the 1990s. Payton, alongside [[Shawn Kemp]] formed the "Sonic Boom", under head coach [[George Karl]]. In 1996, the SuperSonics won a franchise record 64 games, then reached the [[1996 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]] where they lost in six games to [[Michael Jordan]]'s [[Chicago Bulls]]. The SuperSonics trailed in the series 0-3, but with Payton assigned to guard Jordan the SuperSonics staved off elimination by winning Games Four and Five.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nathan |first1=Alec |title=Gary Payton Discusses George Karl, Playing Defense on 'The Starters' |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2685493-gary-payton-discusses-george-karl-playing-defense-on-the-starters |website=Bleacher Report |access-date=December 17, 2019 |date=January 6, 2017}}</ref>

In 2001, the SuperSonics were bought by [[Howard Schultz]], with whom Payton had a sour relationship. When Payton did not attend the first day of training camp in 2002, Schultz insisted that Payton be traded.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2006-07-21|title=Hughes: Why Schultz tuned out and sold out the Sonics|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=hughes_frank&id=2525634|access-date=2021-03-21|website=ESPN.com|language=en}}</ref>

===Milwaukee Bucks (2003)===
In the middle of the [[2002–03 NBA season|2002–03 season]] at the trade deadline, Payton was traded to the [[Milwaukee Bucks]] along with [[Desmond Mason]] in exchange for [[Ray Allen]], [[Kevin Ollie]], [[Ronald Murray]] and 2003 first-round draft pick. Payton was reunited with [[George Karl]], who had been his head coach with the Sonics and was now in the same capacity with the Bucks. Payton played the remaining 28 games with the Bucks, averaging 19.6 points and 7.4 assists per game. The Bucks faced the defending Eastern Conference champion [[New Jersey Nets]] in the first round of the playoffs, pushing the Nets to six games before losing to the more experienced and well rounded Nets. Payton led the Bucks in scoring (18.5) and assists (8.7) during the series, which included a 20-point, 14-assist performance in a Game 4 Milwaukee win.

===Los Angeles Lakers (2003–2004)===
[[file:Lakers Grizzlies 200304.jpg|thumb|Payton (left) during his stint with the Lakers]]
As an unrestricted free agent prior to the [[2003–04 NBA season|2003–04]] season, Payton, along with [[Karl Malone]], signed with the [[Los Angeles Lakers]] to make a run at their first NBA Championship. Payton started in all 82 games and averaged 14.6 points with 5.5 assists and 1.2 steals, but struggled with Lakers coach [[Phil Jackson]]'s [[triangle offense]], which limited his ball-handling and post-up opportunities.<ref>{{cite news|last=DuPree |first=David |title=Changing of guard not easy |date=May 4, 2004 |newspaper=USA Today |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/playoffs/2004-05-04-payton-triangle_x.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140618070416/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/playoffs/2004-05-04-payton-triangle_x.htm |archive-date=June 18, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Adande |first=J. A. |title=West Side: Mike Brown's O is working |date=November 6, 2012 |work=ESPN.com |url=https://www.espn.com/los-angeles/story/_/id/8599363/west-side-princeton-offense-working-some-los-angeles-lakers-stars |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109074847/http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/story/_/id/8599363/west-side-princeton-offense-working-some-los-angeles-lakers-stars |archive-date=November 9, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> Payton provided offense in games where superstar teammates [[Shaquille O'Neal]] or [[Kobe Bryant]] could not play due to injury, including a 30-point outburst in an overtime win against the [[Cleveland Cavaliers]] on February 4.

Despite injuries to Malone, O'Neal and Bryant throughout the season, the Lakers won 56 games and the Pacific Division. In the [[2004 NBA playoffs|playoffs]], Payton averaged just 7.8 points per game, but scored 15 points in Games 3 and 6 of the Lakers' semifinals series against the [[San Antonio Spurs]], and scored 18 points to go with nine assists in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the [[Minnesota Timberwolves]]. The Lakers would reach the [[2004 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]] before falling to the [[Detroit Pistons]] in five games.

===Boston Celtics (2004–2005)===
Prior to the [[2004–05 NBA season|2004–05 season]], the Lakers traded Payton and [[Rick Fox]] to the [[Boston Celtics]] for center [[Chris Mihm]], small forward [[Jumaine Jones]] and point guard [[Chucky Atkins]]. While Payton expressed displeasure with the trade, he ultimately did report to Boston and began the 2004–05 season as the Celtics' starting point guard. On February 24, 2005, Payton was traded to the [[Atlanta Hawks]] in a deal that brought former Celtic [[Antoine Walker]] back to Boston. The Hawks then waived Payton immediately following the trade, and he returned a week later to Boston as a [[free agent]]. Payton started all 77 games he played for Boston and averaged 11.3 points per game and 6.1 assists as the Celtics won the [[Eastern Conference (NBA)|Atlantic Division]] before losing in the first round to the [[Indiana Pacers]].

===Miami Heat (2005–2007)===
On September 22, 2005, he signed a one-year $1.1 million contract with Miami, reuniting with Walker (who was acquired seven weeks earlier by the Heat), as well as former Lakers' teammate [[Shaquille O'Neal]]. Serving as a backup to [[Jason Williams (basketball, born 1975)|Jason Williams]], Payton averaged 7.7 points and started 25 of 81 games. In the playoffs, Payton did not start but averaged 24.3 minutes a game after averaging 28.5 minutes during the regular season, often playing during pressure situations in the 4th quarter of games. In Game 4 of the semifinals against the [[New Jersey Nets]], Payton hit a critical three-pointer with 56 seconds left in the game to clinch the Heat victory. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on the road against the [[Detroit Pistons]], Payton scored 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting, helping the Heat set the tone in the series. Miami won the series in 6 games to reach the team's first ever Finals against the [[Dallas Mavericks]]. Miami lost the first two games in Dallas and trailed in the final quarter of Game 3 before a comeback led by [[Dwyane Wade]] culminated with a Jason Williams pass to Payton, who faked his defender and hit the game-winning jump shot to keep Miami from falling 3–0 in the series. In Game 5, Payton scored 8 points, including Miami's final field goal with 29 seconds left, to help clinch a one-point victory. The Heat returned to Dallas for Game 6 and won 95–92, securing their first and Payton's only NBA title.

On September 6, 2006, the 38-year-old Payton re-signed with the defending champion Miami Heat on a one-year, $1.2 million contract. During the subsequent [[2006–07 NBA season]], Payton continued to climb up several NBA all-time lists: he moved from 17th to 8th in all-time NBA games played, passed [[John Havlicek]] and [[Robert Parish]] to move into 7th in all-time minutes played, and passed [[Hal Greer]] and [[Larry Bird]] to become the 21st-highest scorer in NBA history.

==National team==
Payton was a member of the gold medal-winning [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996]] and [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000]] U.S. Men's Olympic Basketball Teams.

==Player profile==
[[File:Gary Payton NBA Asia Challenge 2010.jpg|thumb|right|Payton playing in the NBA Asia Challenge 2010 in the Philippines]]

===Personality===
Payton is well known for his [[trash-talk]]. He received the fourth-most [[technical foul]]s of all time (behind [[Karl Malone]], [[Charles Barkley]], and [[Rasheed Wallace]]) with 250.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ence |first1=Jason |title=Top 10 players with the most technical fouls in NBA history |url=https://edge.twinspires.com/nba/top-10-players-with-the-most-technical-fouls-in-nba-history/ |website=The TwinSpires Edge |access-date=May 9, 2022 |date=March 30, 2021}}</ref> Of his trash talking, Payton has stated "I never take it too far...I just try to talk and get their mind off the game, and turn their attention on me", adding that "sometimes I get accused of trash talking even though I'm not...[referees and spectators] immediately figure you're trash talking. But I could be talking to a guy about what's going on or asking about his family."<ref>Phillips, DeAndre [https://www.nba.com/heat/news/giftofgab_060412.html The Gift of Gab], nba.com. Retrieved June 13, 2007.</ref>

In addition, All-Star point guard [[Jason Kidd]] has referred to Payton as a "mentor" for the way he treated Kidd growing up in the same neighborhood of Oakland.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/nets/story/415711p-351284c.html |title=New Jersey Nets Basketball |publisher=NY Daily News |access-date=September 21, 2010 |location=New York |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060522230930/http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/nets/story/415711p-351284c.html |archive-date=May 22, 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{YouTube|fL4-mq3Mz8I}}</ref>

In 2001, he gave a humorous, televised "motivational speech" to his team during the [[2001 NBA All-Star Game|NBA All-Star Game]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v_SOh20gwQ Gary Payton at 2001 All-Star Game Pre-Game] (video), youtube.com. Retrieved January 17, 2014.</ref>

===Playing style===
Payton's nickname of "The Glove" in reference to his defensive skills was popularized during the 1993 [[Western Conference (NBA)|Western Conference]] Finals series against [[Phoenix Suns|Phoenix]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/playerfile/gary_payton/printable_player_files.html |title=player profile |work=NBA.com |access-date=May 2, 2016 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007075016/http://www.nba.com/playerfile/gary_payton/printable_player_files.html |archive-date=October 7, 2008 }}</ref>

Since Payton's career ended in 2007, he has been mentioned among the all-time greatest point guards. [[Gail Goodrich]], who played with Hall of Fame guard [[Jerry West]], said "Gary Payton is probably as complete a guard as there ever was."<ref name=autogenerated1 /> [[Kevin Johnson (basketball)|Kevin Johnson]] considers Payton "certainly...amongst the best ever" and "just as intimidating...maybe even more so than all-time greats [[Magic Johnson]], [[Isiah Thomas]], [[Tiny Archibald]], and [[Maurice Cheeks]]." When asked to classify the best players in each position of the late 1990s and early 21st century, NBA coach [[George Karl]] said of Payton, "I don't know who else you'd take at point guard. Some say [[Jason Kidd]]. Well, every time Gary went nose-to-nose with Kidd, Gary won that matchup."<ref name="findarticlesP1">{{cite web |last1=Barber |first1=Phil |title=NBA 75: Gary Payton's case as the best two-way guard ever {{!}} Sporting News |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/nba-75-gary-paytons-case-as-the-best-two-way-guard-ever/106jo5kf0lxj3zuqjx0a8nww3 |website=Sporting News |access-date=26 May 2025 |language=en-us |date=3 January 2022}}</ref>

Payton is ranked 35th all-time in points scored, and 11th in assists, but he is most widely recognized for his defensive contributions. ''The Sporting News'' said in 2000 that Payton was "building a case as the best two-way point guard in history", and asked "If you weigh offense and defense equally, is Payton the best ever?"<ref name=findarticlesP1/>
When comparing Payton to the all-time greats, it has been said that "Payton arguably is the best defender of them all, and his offensive game is better than most."<ref name=findarticlesP1/>

His defensive prowess was once described by [[Kevin Johnson (basketball)|Kevin Johnson]]:<blockquote>"You think of guys with great hands, like Maurice Cheeks and Derek Harper. Gary is like that. But he's also a great individual defender and a great team defender. He has all three components covered. That's very rare."<ref name=findarticlesP1/></blockquote>

Offensively, Payton was not a particularly strong shooter, but was much more physical than most point guards of his era, preferring to use his {{height|ft=6|in=4}} body frame and strength to shield defenders on his way to the basket or posting up his opponent in an isolation play. Nonetheless, in his prime, Payton was the "NBA's reigning high scorer among point guards."<ref name=findarticlesP2>{{cite news|url=https://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_38_224/ai_65644912/pg_2?tag=artBody;col1 |title=Gold Glove &#124; Sporting News, The &#124; Find Articles at BNET |publisher=Findarticles.com |date=September 18, 2000 |access-date=September 21, 2010 |first=Phil |last=Barber}}</ref> In 2006, he was referred to as "obviously...one of the greatest clutch shooters of our time".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.insidehoops.com/payton-finals-interview-061406.shtml |title=Gary Payton Interview – Gary Payton Quotes |publisher=InsideHoops.com |date=June 14, 2006 |access-date=September 21, 2010}}</ref>

He earned his first of 9 consecutive All-NBA team selections when he was chosen to the All-NBA Third team in 1994. Payton would go on to make the All-NBA First-Team in 1998 and 2000, All-NBA Second Team in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, and 2002, and All-NBA Third Team in 1994 and 2001. He was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team a record nine consecutive seasons (1994–2002), and won the [[NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award]] in 1996, the first point guard to win the award.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gress |first=Steve |title=Looking back at The Glove |date=September 4, 2013 |newspaper=Corvallis Gazette-Times |url=http://www.gazettetimes.com/blogs/beavers-blog/looking-back-at-the-glove/article_2c153f2c-1595-11e3-8dbd-0019bb2963f4.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231202421/http://www.gazettetimes.com/blogs/beavers-blog/looking-back-at-the-glove/article_2c153f2c-1595-11e3-8dbd-0019bb2963f4.html |archive-date=December 31, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> He has been selected to the NBA All-Star Team nine times and was voted as a starter in 1997 and 1998. 

He was the only guard to have won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award since Michael Jordan in 1988, until [[Marcus Smart]] received the award in 2022. Also, he, Jordan, Kevin Garnett, and [[Kobe Bryant]] share the record for most career NBA All-Defensive First Team selections, with nine. He is currently fifth all-time in career steals. Payton also ranks fifth all-time among guards in defensive rebounds though not alone, 12th in offensive rebounds, and 10th in total rebounds for a guard. Among players considered [[point guard]]s, Payton ranks 3rd in defensive rebounds, 5th in offensive rebounds, and 4th in total rebounds, behind [[Jason Kidd]], [[Oscar Robertson]], and [[Magic Johnson]]. In 2021, to commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary ''[[The Athletic]]'' ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Payton as the 48th greatest player in NBA history.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Harper | first1=Zach | url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2995657/2021/12/08/nba-75-at-no-48-gary-payton-backed-up-his-intense-and-vociferous-trash-talk-with-historic-defensive-play/ | title=NBA 75: At No. 48, Gary Payton backed up his intense and vociferous trash talk with historic defensive play | work=The New York Times | date=April 29, 2024 }}</ref>

===Payton vs. Jordan===
Payton is also considered one of the best defensive opponents of [[Michael Jordan]],<ref name="washingtonpost.com">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fancy-stats/wp/2014/08/21/how-putting-gary-payton-on-michael-jordan-sooner-could-have-changed-the-1996-nba-finals/ |title=How putting Gary Payton on Michael Jordan sooner could have changed the 1996 NBA Finals |first=Thomas |last=Johnson |date=August 21, 2014 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> and the two players had a high-profile rivalry that culminated in the [[1996 NBA Finals]]. Jordan and Payton have both won the [[NBA Defensive Player of the Year]] award and despite their different positions (shooting guard and point guard respectively), they were well matched for other reasons. Both were prodigious "trash talkers"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://unspun.com/31351-best-basketball-trash-talkers |title=Best Basketball Trash Talkers |publisher=UnSpun |date=April 26, 2006 |access-date=September 21, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721112552/http://unspun.com/31351-best-basketball-trash-talkers |archive-date=July 21, 2012}}</ref> ([[Larry Johnson (basketball, born 1969)|Larry Johnson]] once named Payton, Jordan and himself the best three trash talkers in the league),<ref>Sports Illustrated for Kids, December 1996 issue featuring Larry Johnson on the cover</ref> had legendary competitiveness, and as the 1997 ''NBA Preview'' magazine stated, "Payton [was] quick, and strong as an ox", making him the kind of player who could frustrate Jordan defensively.

Midway through the 1996 NBA Finals, Seattle coach [[George Karl]] decided to assign Payton to defend Jordan, instead of his normal role defending the Bulls' [[point guard]]s. Though the Bulls won the series, Seattle's (and especially Payton's) defense held Jordan and the Bulls to their lowest offensive output in an NBA finals and "frustrated the best player in the game."<ref>{{cite news|last=Brown |first=Clifton |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E00EFD61739F936A25755C0A960958260 |title=N.B.A. FINALS;It's Back to Chicago: SuperSonics Force a Game 6 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 15, 1996 |access-date=September 21, 2010}}</ref> In a Game 5 preview after Payton had held Jordan to a career NBA Finals low of 23, an NBA pregame show described the rivalry of two strong defensive players renowned for their competitiveness. <blockquote>"[In Game 4, Jordan had his] lowest output in a Finals game, much of it with Payton guarding him. Though afterwards, Jordan refused to give Payton credit, saying 'No one can stop me, I can only stop myself. I missed some easy shots.' The truth is, Jordan finds the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year [Payton] annoying. He views the [young Payton] as impudent, and he would love to have a big game at [Payton's] expense." (NBA on NBC Preview, Game 5)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy6uigdabDs |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/Cy6uigdabDs |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Gary Payton Guards Michael Jordan (26pts) ('96 Finals, Game 5) |work=YouTube.com |date=July 13, 2012 |access-date=August 29, 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref></blockquote> The Sonics won that game by 21 points and Payton held Jordan to 26 points – Jordan's second-lowest-scoring Finals game in his career up to that point. In Game 6, which the Bulls won to capture the Championship, Payton played 47 minutes and Jordan missed 14 of his 19 shots, getting a career Finals low 22 points.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1996.html |title=1996 NBA Playoff Summary |publisher=Basketball-Reference.com |access-date=April 28, 2013}}</ref> [[Bill Walton]], commentating for [[NBC]] at the time, said Payton "outplayed" Jordan during the second half of the series, and that Seattle coach [[George Karl]] would "rue" the decision to "hide [Payton] from 'the king'" in the early games of the series.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kFZAQbOq3Y |title=NBC Intro 1996 NBA Finals Sonics Bulls Game 6 |publisher=YouTube |access-date=September 21, 2010}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead YouTube link|date=February 2022}}</ref>

Later, of his performance that series, Payton said "You've got to get back at Jordan, you can't back down on him. If you do, he's like a wolf, he's going to eat everything. He knew I wasn't going to back down. I had to realize or see if he is really about being a dog, about this neighborhood stuff. I went at him. It was just me being me."<ref name="washingtonpost.com"/><ref>{{cite web | title=Gary Payton in-depth on Michael Jordan's trash-talking "I don't care about Black Jesus" | date=February 14, 2022 | url=https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/gary-payton-in-depth-on-michael-jordans-trash-talking-i-dont-care-about-black-jesus }}</ref> In one notable trash-talking exchange, Jordan said 'You can't guard me, you know who I am? Black Jesus,' to which Payton responded saying 'Fu** you, Imma get in yo ass every time I come and play.'”<ref>{{cite web | title=Payton reveals what he told Jordan: "You the man? I'm the man, too!" | date=March 11, 2020 | url=https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/payton-reveals-what-he-told-jordan-you-the-man-im-the-man-too }}</ref>

===Durability ===
In his 17-year career, Payton missed only 25 games, and at one point held the longest active streak for consecutive games played, with 356; the streak ended in January 2001.<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=January 19, 2001 |title= Payton's consecutive-games streak ends |url= https://www.espn.com/nba/news/2001/0118/1024045.html |work= [[ESPN]]|location=[[Seattle]] |access-date=January 20, 2024}}</ref> ''The Sporting News'' noted in a 2000 article, "Durability always has been one of Payton's strong suits. He has missed only two games in 10 seasons and is generally counted on for nearly a full game's worth of nonstop motion, despite chronic back pain that requires extensive stretching and regular applications of heating packs."<ref name=findarticlesP1/>

==Coaching career==
Payton was the head coach at [[Lincoln University (California)|Lincoln University]] in Oakland for three seasons before becoming the head coach of the nearby [[College of Alameda]] men's team in 2024.<ref>{{cite news|first=Marc J.|last=Spears|title=Gary Payton Sr. new College of Alameda men's basketball coach|date=September 7, 2024|work=ESPN|url=https://global.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/41166128/sources-gary-payton-sr-new-basketball-coach-college-alameda|access-date=September 10, 2024}}</ref>

==Off the court==
[[File:Gary Payton NBA Cares Hoops for Troops event, 2012 (cropped).JPG|upright=1.2|thumb|Payton instructing youth from the Nellis Air Force Base community during [[NBA Cares]] Hoops for Troops event, 2012]]

===Personal life===
Payton is the son of Al and Annie Payton. He married Monique James on July 26, 1997. They lived in Oakland and Las Vegas and have three children: [[Gary Payton II|Gary II]], Julian, and Raquel.<ref name=playerfile/> Gary II has played for the [[Milwaukee Bucks]], [[Los Angeles Lakers]], [[Washington Wizards]], [[Portland Trail Blazers]], and the [[Golden State Warriors]], where he won the [[2022 NBA Finals|NBA Championship]]. Payton also has another son named Gary Payton Jr. with a different mother.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.citypaper.com/columns/story.asp?id=2232 |title=Hoops, Baby |publisher=Citypaper.com |access-date=September 21, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814160532/http://www2.citypaper.com/columns/story.asp?id=2232 |archive-date=August 14, 2011}}</ref> His brother, Brandon, was also a professional basketball player during the 2000s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://basketball.usbasket.com/player/Brandon-Payton/76018|title=Brandon Payton|work=usbasket.com|access-date=January 8, 2023|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Payton is [[Cross-dominance|cross-dominant]]: he was a natural left-handed player who shot with his right hand.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Perley |first1=Sam |title=The Unorthodoxiness of the Lefty-Heavy Hornets |url=https://www.nba.com/hornets/unorthodoxiness-lefty-heavy-hornets |website=NBA.com |access-date=May 9, 2022 |date=November 9, 2021}}</ref>

===Post-NBA career===
During the [[2008–09 NBA season|2008–09 season]], Payton served as a studio analyst for [[NBA TV]] and as an occasional substitute analyst on ''The [[NBA on TNT]]''. He was replaced with [[Kevin McHale (basketball)|Kevin McHale]] for the [[2009–10 NBA season|2009–10 season]]. In 2013, Payton was named an analyst for [[Fox Sports 1]]'s ''Fox Sports Live''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cohen |first=Rachel |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/fox-sports-1-debuts-trucks-231558546--nfl.html |title=Fox Sports 1 debuts with trucks race, UFC |publisher=[[Yahoo! Sports]] |date=August 16, 2013 |access-date=August 16, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130821041540/http://sports.yahoo.com/news/fox-sports-1-debuts-trucks-231558546--nfl.html |archive-date=August 21, 2013}}</ref> For the [[2016 NFL season]], Payton provided weekly picks for Sports Betting Dime.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportsbettingdime.com/gary-payton/|title=Gary Payton {{!}} Sports Betting Dime|website=Sports Betting Dime|access-date=March 30, 2017}}</ref>

===Movie and TV appearances===
Payton has appeared in ''[[Eddie (film)|Eddie]]'' (1996), ''[[Like Mike]]'' (2002), ''[[The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part]]'' (2019), and also performed a speaking role in the 1999 comedy film ''The Breaks''. He also appeared on ''[[The Jamie Foxx Show]]''.

Payton appeared on ''[[Onion SportsDome]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kansascity.com/2011/01/31/2622149/the-onion-peels-back-the-curtain.html |title=The Onion peels back the curtain on modern media in two promising new shows |first=Neal |last=Justin |date=January 31, 2011 |publisher=Star Tribune |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203011418/http://www.kansascity.com/2011/01/31/2622149/the-onion-peels-back-the-curtain.html |archive-date=February 3, 2011 }}</ref>

Payton went on to feature in a 2016 documentary about NBA player [[Stephon Marbury]] titled ''Stephon Marbury: Remade in China'' by a cameo appearance.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hMgZD1jQIs|title=Stephon Marbury: Remade in China |website=[[YouTube]] |date=December 24, 2016 }}</ref>

===Charity and community involvement===
Payton has made numerous well-regarded contributions of both time and money to the community.<ref>Colen, David [http://www.aventurausa.com/miami/magazine/gary_payton_feature.shtml Payton Starting to Ponder Retirement, Life After NBA] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928025428/http://www.aventurausa.com/miami/magazine/gary_payton_feature.shtml |date=September 28, 2007 }}, aventurusa.com, December 17, 2006. Retrieved June 13, 2007.</ref> He set up ''The Gary Payton Foundation''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gpfoundation.org/ |title=Gary Payton Foundation homepage |publisher=Gpfoundation.org |access-date=September 21, 2010}}</ref> in 1996 to provide safe places for recreational activity, and to help underprivileged youth in his hometown of Oakland stay in school. He hosts an annual charity basketball game as part of his foundation. Payton also gave back to the [[East Oakland Youth Development Center]] (EOYDC), a youth center that he attended in Oakland when he was growing up. In 2001, Payton donated $100,000 to renovate EOYDC's gym – his first big grant in his hometown of Oakland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oaklandmagazine.com/Oakland-Magazine/July-August-2009/EOYDC-A-Beacon-for-Oakland-Youth/|title=EOYDC: A Beacon for Oakland Youth|work=Oakland Magazine|date=July–August 2009|access-date=August 4, 2016|archive-date=August 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819102521/http://www.oaklandmagazine.com/Oakland-Magazine/July-August-2009/EOYDC-A-Beacon-for-Oakland-Youth/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Payton and his wife, Monique, have been active in fundraising endeavors for HIV awareness, and Payton has lent many hours and provided tremendous financial support to the [[Boys & Girls Clubs of America|Boys & Girls Club of America]] and the [[Make-a-Wish Foundation]].<ref name=playerfile>[http://www.nba.com/playerfile/gary_payton/bio.html NBA.com Playerfile: Gary Payton] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070515193628/http://www.nba.com/playerfile/gary_payton/bio.html |date=May 15, 2007 }}, nba.com. Retrieved June 13, 2007.</ref> Payton has also donated Miami Heat tickets to underprivileged children. For the Christmas of 2003 he took 10 families from the [[Ronald McDonald House Charities|Ronald McDonald House]] in Los Angeles and let each of the over 40 children have a $100 shopping spree at [[FAO Schwarz]]. For Christmas, 2005, he gave 60 children $100 Toys-R-Us shopping sprees as part of the Voices For Children program. In 1999, he wrote an autobiographical children's book entitled ''Confidence Counts'' as part of the "Positively for Kids" series, illustrating the importance of confidence through events in his own life. In July 1999, Payton was named to [[The Sporting News]]' "Good Guys in Sports" list.<ref name=playerfile/> Payton hosted a radio show in early 1998 on Seattle's KUBE 93.3 station. He played hip-hop including [[The Roots]], [[Raekwon]], [[Outkast]], and [[Cam'ron]]. He did it for charity during the NBA lockout.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/archives/1998/9812210171.asp |title=Nba Not Turned Off By Payton Radio Program Not Conflict of Interest |publisher=Seattlepi.com |date=December 19, 1998 |access-date=September 21, 2010 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> During the [[2021 NHL expansion draft]] for the [[Seattle Kraken]], he made an appearance alongside former teammate [[Shawn Kemp]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=O'Leary |first1=Dan |title=Seattle-area sports stars, celebrities help Kraken with Expansion Draft |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/seattle-sports-stars-help-kraken-with-expansion-draft/c-325727888 |website=NHL |date=July 21, 2021}}</ref>

===Support of Seattle basketball===
Since the Sonics' [[Seattle SuperSonics relocation to Oklahoma City|move to Oklahoma City]], Payton has openly expressed his desire not to have his retired jersey number in Oklahoma City as part of that team's history. He wishes instead for it to remain in [[Seattle]], where he enjoyed the majority of his career's success and popularity. This seems likely as the SuperSonics' team name, colors, uniforms and trophies are remaining in Seattle for a possible future team to adopt upon arrival. Despite no official acknowledgement from the Thunder, they have not issued the number 20 to any player since their relocation.

Payton is featured in the documentary ''[[Sonicsgate]]'', which covers the team's relocation from Seattle to Oklahoma City. When Sonicsgate won a [[Webby Award]] for Best Sports Film, Payton gave the acceptance speech, which consisted solely of the five words "Bring back our Seattle SuperSonics."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/gary-paytons-five-word-speech-bring-back-our-seattle-supersonics/|title=Gary Payton's five-word speech: "Bring back our Seattle SuperSonics"|work=[[The Seattle Times]]|date=June 15, 2010|access-date=August 13, 2020}}</ref>

Payton is currently working on bringing the NBA back to [[Seattle]], aligning himself with the [[Oak View Group]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Buford |first1=Landon |title=Gary Payton Reveals Investment Group for Seattle SuperSonics Return |url=https://heavy.com/sports/2019/11/seattle-sonics-gary-payton/ |website=Heavy.com |access-date=May 9, 2022 |date=November 19, 2019}}</ref>

==Career statistics==
{{NBA player statistics legend|champion=y|leader=y}}

===NBA===

====Regular season====
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1990}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1990–91 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| style="background:#cfecec;"|'''82'''* || '''82''' || 27.4 || .450 || .077 || .711 || 3.0 || 6.4 || 2.0 || .2 || 7.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1991}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1991–92 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| 81 || 79 || 31.5 || .451 || .130 || .669 || 3.6 || 6.2 || 1.8 || '''.3''' || 9.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1992}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1992–93 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| '''82''' || '''82''' || 31.1 || .494 || .206 || .770 || 3.4 || 4.9 || 2.2 || '''.3''' || 13.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1993}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1993–94 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| style="background:#cfecec;"|'''82'''* || '''82''' || 35.1 || .504 || .278 || .595 || 3.3 || 6.0 || 2.3 || .2 || 16.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1994}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1994–95 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| style="background:#cfecec;"|'''82'''* || style="background:#cfecec;"| '''82'''* || 36.8 || '''.509''' || .302 || .716 || 3.4 || 7.1 || 2.5 || .2 || 20.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1995}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1995–96 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| 81 || 81 || 39.0 || .484 || .328 || .748 || 4.2 || 7.5 || style="background:#cfecec;"|'''2.9*''' || .2 || 19.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1996}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1996–97 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| '''82''' || style="background:#cfecec;"| '''82'''* || 39.2 || .476 || .313 || .715 || 4.6 || 7.1 || 2.4 || .2 || 21.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1997}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1997–98 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| style="background:#cfecec;"|'''82'''* || style="background:#cfecec;"|'''82'''* || 38.4 || .453 || .338 || .744 || 4.6 || 8.3 || 2.3 || .2 || 19.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1998}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1998–99 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| style="background:#cfecec;"|50* || style="background:#cfecec;"|50* || 40.2 || .434 || .295 || .721 || 4.9 || 8.7 || 2.2 || .2 || 21.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1999|trunc=y}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1999–2000 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| '''82''' || style="background:#cfecec;"| '''82'''* || '''41.8''' || .448 || .340 || .735 || '''6.5''' || 8.9 || 1.9 || .2 || '''24.2'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2000}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[2000–01 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| 79 || 79 || 41.1 || .456 || '''.375''' || .766 || 4.6 || 8.1 || 1.6 || '''.3''' || 23.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2001}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[2001–02 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| '''82''' || '''82''' || 40.3 || .467 || .314 || '''.797''' || 4.8 || '''9.0''' || 1.6 || '''.3''' || 22.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2|{{nbay|2002}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[2002–03 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| 52 || 52 || 40.8 || .448 || .298 || .692 || 4.8 || 8.8 || 1.8 || .2 || 20.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[2002–03 Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee]]
| 28 || 28 || 38.8 || .466 || .294 || .746 || 3.1 || 7.4 || 1.4 || '''.3''' || 19.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2003}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[2003–04 Los Angeles Lakers season|L.A. Lakers]]
| '''82''' || '''82''' || 34.5 || .471 || .333 || .714 || 4.2 || 5.5 || 1.2 || .2 || 14.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2004}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[2004–05 Boston Celtics season|Boston]]
| 77 || 77 || 33.0 || .468 || .326 || .761 || 3.1 || 6.1 || 1.1 || .2 || 11.3
|-
| style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;"|{{nbay|2005}}†
| style="text-align:left;"|[[2005–06 Miami Heat season|Miami]]
| 81 || 25 || 28.5 || .420 || .287 || .794 || 2.9 || 3.2 || .9 || .1 || 7.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2006}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[2006–07 Miami Heat season|Miami]]
| 68 || 28 || 22.1 || .393 || .260 || .667 || 1.9 || 3.0 || .6 || .0 || 5.3
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career
| 1,335 || 1,233 || 35.3 || .466 || .317 || .729 || 3.9 || 6.7 || 1.8 || .2 || 16.3
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|All-Star
| 9 || 2 || 20.8 || .436 || .273 || 1.000 || 3.3 || 8.1 || 2.1 || .0 || 9.4
{{s-end}}

====Playoffs====
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1991 NBA playoffs|1991]]
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1990–91 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| 5 || 5 || 27.0 || .407 || .000 || '''1.000''' || 2.6 || 6.4 || 1.6 || .2 || 4.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1992 NBA playoffs|1992]]
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1991–92 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| 8 || 8 || 27.6 || .466 || .000 || .583 || 2.6 || 4.8 || 1.0 || .3 || 7.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1993 NBA playoffs|1993]]
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1992–93 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| 19 || 19 || 31.8 || .443 || .167 || .676 || 3.3 || 3.7 || 1.8 || .2 || 12.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1994 NBA playoffs|1994]]
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1993–94 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| 5 || 5 || 36.2 || '''.493''' || .333 || .421 || 3.4 || 5.6 || 1.6 || '''.4''' || 15.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1995 NBA playoffs|1995]]
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1994–95 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| 4 || 4 || 43.0 || .478 || .200 || .417 || 2.5 || 5.3 || 1.3 || .0 || 17.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1996 NBA playoffs|1996]]
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1995–96 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| 21 || 21 || 43.4 || .485 || '''.410''' || .633 || 5.1 || 6.8 || 1.8 || .3 || 20.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1997 NBA playoffs|1997]]
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1996–97 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| 12 || 12 || '''45.5''' || .412 || .333 || .820 || 5.4 || '''8.7''' || '''2.2''' || .3 || 23.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1998 NBA playoffs|1998]]
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1997–98 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| 10 || 10 || 42.8 || .475 || .380 || .940 || 3.4 || 7.0 || 1.8 || .1 || 24.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[2000 NBA playoffs|2000]]
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1999–2000 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| 5 || 5 || 44.2 || .442 || .391 || .769 || 7.6 || 7.4 || 1.8 || .2 || '''25.8'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[2002 NBA playoffs|2002]]
| style="text-align:left;"|[[2001–02 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| 5 || 5 || 41.4 || .425 || .267 || .586 || '''8.6''' || 5.8 || .6 || '''.4''' || 22.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[2003 NBA playoffs|2003]]
| style="text-align:left;"|[[2002–03 Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee]]
| 6 || 6 || 41.8 || .429 || .067 || .700 || 3.0 || '''8.7''' || 1.3 || .2 || 18.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[2004 NBA playoffs|2004]]
| style="text-align:left;"|[[2003–04 Los Angeles Lakers season|L.A. Lakers]]
| 22 || '''22''' || 35.1 || .366 || .250 || .750 || 3.3 || 5.3 || 1.0 || .2 || 7.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[2005 NBA playoffs|2005]]
| style="text-align:left;"|[[2004–05 Boston Celtics season|Boston]]
| 7 || 7 || 34.1 || .446 || .071 || .833 || 4.1 || 4.6 || .9 || .1 || 10.3
|-
| style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;"|[[2006 NBA playoffs|2006]]†
| style="text-align:left;"|[[2005–06 Miami Heat season|Miami]]
| '''23''' || 0 || 24.3 || .422 || .293 || .720 || 1.7 || 1.6 || 1.0 || .1 || 5.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[2007 NBA playoffs|2007]]
| style="text-align:left;"|[[2006–07 Miami Heat season|Miami]]
| 2 || 0 || 16.0 || .000 || .000 || – || 2.0 || 1.5 || .0 || .0 || .0
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career
| 154 || 129 || 35.6 || .441 || .315 || .706 || 3.7 || 5.3 || 1.4 || .2 || 14.0
{{s-end}}

===College===
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1986–87 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1986–87]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1986–87 Oregon State Beavers men's basketball team|Oregon State]]
| 30 || 30 || 37.2 || .459 || .371 || .671 || 4.0 || 7.6 || 1.9 || '''.7''' || 12.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1987–88 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1987–88]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1987–88 Oregon State Beavers men's basketball team|Oregon State]]
| '''31''' || '''31''' || '''38.0''' || .489 || '''.397''' || '''.699''' || 3.3 || 7.4 || 2.3 || .4 || 14.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1988–89 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1988–89]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1988–89 Oregon State Beavers men's basketball team|Oregon State]]
| 30 || 30 || '''38.0''' || .475 || .385 || .677 || 4.1 || '''8.1''' || 3.0 || .6 || 20.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1989–90 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1989–90]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1989–90 Oregon State Beavers men's basketball team|Oregon State]]
| 29 || 29 || 37.8 || '''.504''' || .333 || .690 || '''4.7''' || '''8.1''' || '''3.4''' || .5 || '''25.7'''
|- class="sortbottom"
|style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career
| 120 || 120 || 37.7 || .485 || .369 || .684 || 4.0 || 7.8 || 2.7 || .5 || 18.1
{{s-end}}

==Awards/accomplishments==

===NBA highlights===
* '''NBA champion''': 2006
* '''NBA Defensive Player of The Year''': 1996
* '''9-time NBA All-Star''': 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
* '''9-time All-NBA''':
** '''First Team''': 1998, 2000
** '''Second Team''': 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2002
** '''Third Team''': 1994, 2001
* '''9-time All-Defensive First Team''' member: 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999*, 2000*, 2001, 2002 (shares record for selections with [[Michael Jordan]], [[Kevin Garnett]], and [[Kobe Bryant]])<ref name="numbers">[https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/all_defense_by_player.html All-Defense Selections by Player], basketball-reference.com, accessed May 7, 2007.</ref><ref name=usatoday_defensive>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/nba/stories/2002-04-30-defensive.htm |title=Payton ties mark with ninth All-Defensive slot |publisher=Usatoday.Com |date=April 30, 2002 |access-date=September 21, 2010}}</ref>
** <nowiki>*</nowiki> Highest vote getter in 1999 and 2000,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eskimo.com/~pbender/misc/awards99.html |title=1998–99 Regular Season Award Winners |publisher=Eskimo.com |access-date=September 21, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eskimo.com/~pbender/misc/awards00.html |title=1999-00 Regular Season Award Winners |publisher=Eskimo.com |access-date=September 21, 2010}}</ref> second highest in 1998<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eskimo.com/~pbender/misc/awards98.html |title=1997–98 Regular Season Award Winners |publisher=Eskimo.com |access-date=September 21, 2010}}</ref> and 2002<ref name=usatoday_defensive/>
* '''NBA All-Rookie Second Team''': 1991
* '''Led NBA in assists''': 1999–2000 (732)
* '''Led NBA in steals''': 1995–96 (231)
* '''Led NBA in three-pointers made''': 1999–2000 (177)
* '''NBA 75th Anniversary Team''': 2021

===Other===
*Two-time Olympic gold medalist with the United States national team: [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Olympic Games]] ([[Atlanta]]) and [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Olympic Games]] (Sydney).
*Ranked #39 on SLAM's Top 100 NBA Players of All Time in 2018.<ref>[https://www.slamonline.com/nba/slams-top-100-players-time-50-11/ SLAM’s Top 100 Players Of All-Time: 50-11] www.slamonline.com, May 1, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.</ref>
*Ranked #10 on [[ESPN]]'s Top 10 NBA Point Guards of All Time.<ref>[https://www.espn.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-GreatestPointGuards Daily Dime: Special Edition, 10 Greatest Point Guards Ever] www.espn.com, May 11, 2006. Retrieved June 13, 2007.</ref>
**In a 2006 poll of 86,000 ESPN.com readers who were asked to rank the ESPN top 10 on various aspects of the game, Payton was considered "best defender" by 48.1% of respondents. [[Walt Frazier|Walt "Clyde" Frazier]] was second, with 11.8% of the vote. Payton and Frazier are the only two-point guards to be selected to more than 5 NBA All-Defensive First Teams (9 and 7, respectively), and two of only four players who were selected to 5 or more All-Defensive teams without ever being on an All-Defensive 2nd team ([[Michael Jordan]] and [[Dave DeBusschere]] are the others).
*In 2005, Payton was #1 on the list of best college point guards of the past 15 years by a reporter for College Hoops Net.<ref>Stanco, Adam, November 25, 2005. [http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/columns/adamstanco/051125.htm Top 100 Point Guards of the Modern Era] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070204014952/http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/columns/adamstanco/051125.htm |date=February 4, 2007 }}, www.collegehoopsnet.com. Retrieved June 13, 2007.</ref>
*In a 2008 [[Espn.com]] article, Payton was named the best #2 draft pick in NBA history during the "[[NBA draft lottery|lottery era]]" (1985–present),<ref>{{cite web|first=Mike |last=Lynch|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=bestpicks/080625 |title=ESPN Page 2: Best NBA draft picks in lottery era, 1–60 |publisher=[[ESPN]] |date=June 26, 2008 |access-date=September 21, 2010}}</ref> ahead of Jason Kidd.
*Payton, who as of the end of the 2007–08 season was tied for 31st with 9 NBA All-Star game appearances, was a solid performer in All-Star games, leading his team in assists three times (1995, 1997 and 1998), and in points once (1996). Payton had the two highest single-game assist totals for NBA All-Star games in the 1990s (15 in 1995, and 13 in 1998). Upon his retirement, he ranked #6 all-time in All-Star game assists and #10 in All-Star game steals. He is also tied for #1 in All-Star game free throw percentage, having never missed a free throw in any of his 8 attempts. Payton was runner-up to [[Mitch Richmond]] for the 1995 NBA All-Star Game MVP award.<ref>[http://www.usabasketball.com/biosmen/gary_payton_bio.html Gary Payton Olympic Biography] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070806021228/http://www.usabasketball.com/biosmen/gary_payton_bio.html |date=August 6, 2007 }}, www.basketballusa.com. Retrieved June 13, 2007.</ref>
*In 2006, in commemoration of the NBA's 60th anniversary, [[Turner Network Television|TNT]] selected Payton among the next 10 players to be added to the list of [[50 Greatest Players in NBA History]].
*In the ''NBA's 100 Greatest Plays'', Payton was responsible for the 4th greatest play in the "Hustle" category,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQcOsyEMxGQ |title=NBA's 100 Greatest Plays: Hustle |publisher=YouTube.com |date=April 27, 2008 |access-date=September 21, 2010}}</ref> passed to Kemp in the NBA's 5th greatest [[Alley-oop (basketball)|Alley Oop]],<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQcOsyEMxGQ |title=NBA's 100 Greatest Plays: Alley Oops |publisher=YouTube.com |date=April 27, 2008 |access-date=September 21, 2010}}</ref> and was also featured in the NBA's greatest steals segment.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTY8IFzg42c |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/yTY8IFzg42c |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=NBA's 100 Greatest Plays: Steals | date=June 26, 2006 |publisher=YouTube.com |access-date=September 21, 2010}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
* Payton has been on the cover of ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' six times: three times as the featured cover story (in 1990,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dynamic.si.cnn.com/si_online/covers/issues/1990/0305.html |title=SI.com – Mar. 5, 1990 |publisher=Dynamic.si.cnn.com |date=March 5, 1990 |access-date=September 21, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520013020/http://dynamic.si.cnn.com/si_online/covers/issues/1990/0305.html |archive-date=May 20, 2011}}</ref> 1994,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dynamic.si.cnn.com/si_online/covers/issues/1994/0502.html |title=SI.com – Sports Illustrated Covers – May 2, 1994 |publisher=Dynamic.si.cnn.com |date=May 2, 1994 |access-date=September 21, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520013050/http://dynamic.si.cnn.com/si_online/covers/issues/1994/0502.html |archive-date=May 20, 2011}}</ref> and 1996),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dynamic.si.cnn.com/si_online/covers/issues/1996/0610.html |title=SI.com – Sports Illustrated Covers – Jun. 10, 1996 |publisher=Dynamic.si.cnn.com |date=June 10, 1996 |access-date=September 21, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070612122509/http://dynamic.si.cnn.com/si_online/covers/issues/1996/0610.html |archive-date=June 12, 2007 }}</ref> and three times in a secondary role.
*Payton has appeared on the cover of [[SLAM Magazine|''SLAM'']] two times – June 1998 and March 2003.
*The Seattle Mayor's Office declared June 6, 2000, as "Gary Payton Day".<ref name=playerfile/>
*He had two streaks of 350+ consecutive games played. Payton played 354 consecutive games between January 16, 1992, and March 13, 1996. Five days later, Payton began his second iron-man streak playing in 356 consecutive games between March 18, 1996, and January 17, 2001.<ref name=playerfile/>
*In 1999, [[Charles Barkley]] called Payton "the greatest player in the world."{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}
*At the time of his graduation from [[Oregon State University]] in 1990, Payton ranked third in [[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career steals leaders|all-time NCAA steals]] and second in [[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career assists leaders|all-time NCAA assists]].

==See also==
* [[List of NBA career games played leaders]]
* [[List of NBA career scoring leaders]]
* [[List of NBA career assists leaders]]
* [[List of NBA career steals leaders]]
* [[List of NBA career turnovers leaders]]
* [[List of NBA career minutes played leaders]]
* [[List of NBA career playoff assists leaders]]
* [[List of NBA career playoff steals leaders]]
* [[List of NBA single-season steals per game leaders]]
* [[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career assists leaders]]
* [[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career steals leaders]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Gary Payton}}
{{basketballstats |nba=56 |bbr=p/paytoga01}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Payton, Gary}}
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