Gary Payton

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Olympic medal record
Men's Basketball
Competitor for  United States
Gold	1996 Atlanta	National team
Gold	2000 Sydney	National team

Gary Dwayne Payton (born July 23, 1968, in Oakland, California) is an American professional basketball player, currently a free agent in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is best known for his 12-year tenure with the Seattle SuperSonics. He has also played with the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.

Payton has played point guard for most of his career. He is nicknamed "The Glove" in recognition of his tenacious defense. As the story goes, Payton's cousin called him during the 1993 Western Conference Finals series against Phoenix and told him, "you're holding Kevin Johnson like a baseball in a glove," and the nickname was born.^[1]

[edit] High school and college career

Payton played high school basketball at Skyline High School in Oakland, California, along with former NBA player Greg Foster, before attending Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. In his sophomore year, his grades plummeted, so his teachers would not allow him to play. His dad encouraged him to focus on school, and he was allowed to play again. Throughout his four-year career at OSU, he became one of the most decorated basketball players in OSU history. During his senior year, Payton was featured on the March 5, 1990 cover of Sports Illustrated magazine as the nation's best college basketball player. He was a consensus All-American in 1990; three-time All-Pac-10 selection, and named the Pac-10 conference's 1987 Freshman of the Year. He was the MVP of the Far West Classic tournament three times and was the Pac-10 Player of the Week nine times. He also was named to the Pac-10's All-Decade Team. At the time of his graduation, he held the school record for points, field goals, three-point field goals, assists, and steals — the only record which he still holds today. During his career at OSU, the Beavers made three NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT appearance. He was elected into OSU's Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.

[edit] NBA career

Payton was the second overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, and spent his first 12½ seasons with the Sonics. 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. However, he soon proved himself to be one of the league's top point guards,while, during the 90's Payton,alongside Kemp formed the"Sonic Boom"-one of the most thrilling tandems of all time.He earned one of his first 8 consecutive All-NBA team selections when he was chosen to the All-NBA Third team in 1994. He was selected 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 guard to have won the award in 8 years. He has been selected to the NBA All-Star Team nine times and was voted as a starter in 1997 and 1998. He was a member of the gold medal-winning 1996 and 2000 U.S. Men's Olympic Basketball Teams. In 1996, Payton and the SuperSonics, under coach George Karl, reached the NBA Finals and lost in six games to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. In the middle of the 2002-03 season at the trade deadline, Payton was sent to the Milwaukee Bucks in a five-player deal that sent Ray Allen to Seattle. Payton played the remaining 28 games with the Bucks. As an unrestricted free agent prior to the 2003-04 season, Payton, along with Karl Malone, signed with the Los Angeles Lakers to make a run at the NBA Championship. According to his agent, he turned down a $35 million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers to sign with the Lakers for the mid-level exception. In reality, the Blazers had a huge payroll at the time and could not have offered more than the same mid-level exception. Despite injuries to Malone, O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant during the regular season, the Lakers won 56 games and the Pacific Division. The Lakers then beat Houston, San Antonio, and Minnesota on the way to the Finals, where they lost to Detroit four games to one.

Prior to the 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 the Celtics and they won the Atlantic Division before losing in the first round to the Indiana Pacers.

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. Payton finally won his first NBA Championship in his sixteenth season in the league when, on June 20, 2006, the Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks in game six of the 2006 NBA Finals for a four to two series victory. Payton hit two crucial shots in that series: a game-winning shot in game three that ignited the Heat's comeback in the series (after being down 0-2) and, in game five, the Heat's final field goal in a one-point victory.

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.

Payton's friend and teammate, Alonzo Mourning has stated that Gary Payton will not be returning to the Miami Heat for the 2007-08 season - although neither Payton nor the team has publicly expressed those sentiments. Payton still talks about returning to the NBA, he is not officially retired from playing but he is taking time off.^[2]

[edit] Personality

Payton is well-known for his trash-talk, and is often considered one of the greatest trash-talkers in NBA history. His trademark open-mouth, bobbing-head style on the court (combined with his 17 years in the league) has led to Payton receiving the second-most technical fouls of all time. This, along with other factors, earned Payton a reputation as a difficult, volatile, and somewhat egotistical presence in the locker room, which was further fueled by various fines and suspensions handed out to him by team management during Payton's last few years in Seattle.

However, Payton became much less volatile in his later years, and many players, including Shaquille O'Neal and Antoine Walker, have greatly enjoyed playing with Payton. In Los Angeles, Boston, and Miami, he was recognized as a psychological leader and mentor for many of the younger players. Many view his trash talking not as unsportsmanlike conduct, but as an extension of his natural competitiveness (it was once commented that he cannot stand losing a game of pool or darts in the locker room any more than he could stand losing at basketball on the court). 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."^[3] One of Payton's major beliefs is that "mental toughness" is as much a part of the game as on-court play. 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. ^[4]

Payton is also known for his large, colorful personality. He has appeared in many movies and television shows, and in 2001, gave a humorous, televised "motivational speech" to his team during the NBA All-Star Game.^[5] In 2007, following some degrading comments about Payton's hometown of Oakland by the ever-controversial Charles Barkley, Payton took it upon himself to humorously go around Oakland with a video camera and get some of the locals' opinions on the character and comments of "Sir Charles", as well as providing some of his own. The segment was later televised on Inside the NBA during their coverage of the 2007 NBA Playoffs.^[6]

[edit] Playing style

Payton's on the court playing style has been one area where few have questioned his fortitude. His all-time rankings for points (21st) and assists (7th) highlight the tremendous offensive contributions he made throughout his career, but he is most widely recognized for his intangible defensive contributions. Offensively, Payton was not a particularly strong shooter but was much more physical than most point guards of his era, preferring to use his body and strength to shield defenders on his way to the basket or posting up his opponent in an isolation play. He is the only guard to have won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award since Michael Jordan in 1988, and he, Scottie Pippen, and Tim Duncan share the record for most career NBA All-Defensive First Team selections, with 9. He is currently third all-time in career steals. Payton is also considered one of the best defensive opponents of Michael Jordan ^[7], and was assigned to play defense as a shooting guard in order to defend Jordan during the 1996 NBA finals. During this series, Payton and his Sonics held Jordan's Bulls to the Bulls' lowest-scoring quarter in the Bulls' NBA finals history. A strong all-around player, Payton also ranks fifth all-time among guards in defensive rebounds, 12th in offensive rebounds, and 10th in total rebounds for a guard.

Many attribute his greatness to the tremendous work ethic and courage he displayed throughout his career. In 16 seasons, Payton has missed only 11 games, and at one point held the longest active streak for consecutive games played, with over 300. Of those games he did miss, many were due to suspensions or coaches' decisions, as Payton was highly capable (and highly willing) of playing through injury, even starting games wearing bandages across his abdomen or lower back in the 1999 and 2000 NBA seasons^{[citation needed]}. The hard working and well-conditioned Karl Malone was the only player to log more minutes of playing time than Payton in the 1990s, and since the 1990-91 season when Payton joined the league, no player has logged more total minutes. Sports Illustrated labeled Payton's 2003-04 season as the best season ever by a point guard aged 35 or older, and Payton has continued to play at a high level even as he advances in age.

In his later years, Payton has gained recognition as a clutch performer, hitting several key shots during the Miami Heat's 2006 championship run.

[edit] Charity and community involvement

Payton has made numerous well-regarded contributions of both time and money to the community.^[8] He set up The Gary Payton Foundation ^[9] 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 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 Club of America and the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Payton has also donated Miami Heat tickets to underprivileged children. 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.

[edit] Awards/accomplishments

[edit] NBA highlights

• NBA Champion: 2006
• 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: 1994–2002 (shares record for selections with Michael Jordan)^[10]
• NBA Defensive Player of The Year: 1996 (only guard to win the award in the 1990s)
• 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)

[edit] NBA milestones

• In NBA history (as of 18th April 2007):

• ranks 21st in points (21,813) - passed Larry Bird (21,791) on March 26, 2007
• ranks 7th in assists (8,966)
• ranks 3rd in steals (2,445)
• ranks 7th in minutes (47,117)
• ranks 8th in games (1335)

• Only player in NBA history to accumulate 20,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, 8,000 assists and 2,000 steals in a career

• Along with John Stockton, Payton is one of only two players to compile 8,000 assists and 2,000 steals in his career

• Between 1990-91 and 2005-06, Payton was first in the league in total minutes played, games played, and steals, was second in total assists (behind John Stockton), and was third in points (Karl Malone, Shaquille O'Neal). During this span, Payton also led all guards in offensive rebounds.
• Seattle SuperSonics Records

• ranks 1st all-time in points (18,207), assists (7,384), steals (2,107), games played (999), minutes played (36,858), field goals made (7,292), field goals attempted (15,562), three pointers attempted (2,855) and triple-doubles (14)
• ranks 2nd in free throws attempted (3,726) and three pointers made (917)
• ranks 3rd in total rebounds (4,240), free throws made (2,706) and defensive rebounds (3,043)

[edit] Other

• 2 Olympic Gold Medals with USA: 1996 Olympic Games (Atlanta) and 2000 Olympic Games (Sydney).
• Ranked #47 on SLAM's Top 75 NBA Players of All Time in 2003.
• Ranked #10 on ESPN's Top 10 NBA Point Guards of All Time. ^[11]
  • 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 "Clyde" Frazier was second, with 11.8% of the vote.
• 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 ^[12]
• Payton has been a solid performer in All-Star games, leading his team in assists three times (1995, 1997 and 1998), and in points once (1996). In the 1990s, Payton had the two highest single-game assist totals for NBA All-Star games (15 in 1995, and 13 in 1998). He is currently #6 all-time in All-Star game assists and is #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.^[13]
• In 2006, in commemoration of the NBA's 60th anniversary, TNT selected Payton among the "Next 10" players to be added to the list of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, essentially recognizing Payton as one of the 60 Greatest Players in NBA History.
• Payton has been on the cover of Sports Illustrated six times: three times as the featured cover story (in 1990^[14], 1994 ^[15], and 1996 ^[16]), and three times in a secondary role ^{[17] [18] [19]}.
• Payton has appeared on the cover of SLAM Magazine two times - June 1998 and March 2003.
• Payton was mentioned in JR Writer's song, I'm a Real OG, for his superb crossover dribble.
• He has 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 Jan. 17, 2001.^[20]

[edit] Statistics

[edit] See also

• List of people from Oakland, California

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• NBA.com Profile – Gary Payton
• Gary Payton Statistics and All-Time Rankings

v • d • e 1996 Olympic Champions Men's Basketball – United States Charles Barkley | Penny Hardaway | Grant Hill | Karl Malone | Reggie Miller | Hakeem Olajuwon | Shaquille O'Neal | Gary Payton | Scottie Pippen | Mitch Richmond | David Robinson | John Stockton | Coach: Lenny Wilkens

v • d • e 2000 Olympic Champions Men's Basketball – United States Shareef Abdur-Rahim | Ray Allen | Vin Baker | Vince Carter | Kevin Garnett | Tim Hardaway | Allan Houston | Jason Kidd | Antonio McDyess | Alonzo Mourning | Gary Payton | Steve Smith | Coach: Rudy Tomjanovich