Gary Payton

Gary Payton

Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. (born July 23, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who played the point guard position. He is best known for his 13-year tenure with the Seattle SuperSonics, and holds Seattle franchise records in points, assists, and steals. He also played with the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, 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.Payton is widely considered one of the greatest point guards of all time. He is the only point guard to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. 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. He was also a nine-time NBA All-Star and a nine-time All-NBA Team member. Considered the "NBA's reigning high scorer among point guards" in his prime, Payton was called "probably as complete a guard as there ever was" by Basketball Hall of Famer Gail Goodrich.

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