Gary Payton

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Template:MedalTop Template:MedalSport Template:MedalGold Template:MedalGold Template:MedalBottom Image:Theglove.jpg Template:About Gary Dwayne Payton (born July 23, 1968 in Oakland, California) is a professional basketball player currently with the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association.

Payton has played point guard for his entire 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 Biography
- 1.1 National Basketball Association
2 Reputation
3 Foundation
4 Career highlights
5 External links

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Biography

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. 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 cover of Sports Illustrated magazine as the nation's best player in 1990. 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. 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.

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National Basketball Association

Payton was the second overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. Payton spent his first 12½ seasons with the Sonics, during which time he proved himself to be one of the league's top point guards. 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 nine consecutive seasons (1994-2002), and won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1996. 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 2002-2003 season, Payton was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in a five-player deal that sent Ray Allen to Seattle. Payton played the remaining 28 games with the Bucks. Image:Payton 200 011211.jpg As an unrestricted free agent prior to the 2003-2004 season, Payton, along with Karl Malone, signed with the Los Angeles Lakers to make a run at the NBA Championship with Shaquille O'Neal. 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 the Detroit Pistons in five games (4-1).

Before 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 2004-2005 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 USD $1.1 million contract with Miami, reuniting with Walker (acquired seven weeks earlier by the Heat), as well as former Lakers teammate, Shaquille O'Neal.

Gary Payton is often considered one of the greatest point guards in NBA history. The hard work ethic that he has displayed throughout his career has helped him maintain a high quality of play even as he advances in age.

Payton was ranked #47 on SLAM Magazine's Top 75 NBA Players of All Time in 2003.

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Reputation

Payton has always been a revered and respected player throughout the league. He is well-known for his trash-talk, being known as one of the greatest trash-talkers in NBA history. His mouth often gets him into trouble as he is 2nd all-time in technical fouls.

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Foundation

Payton has set up the Gary Payton Foundation. This Foundation aids youth in his hometown of Oakland.

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Career highlights

2 Olympic Gold Medals with USA: 1996 Olympic Games (Atlanta) and 2000 Olympic Games (Sydney).
Only player in NBA history to accumulate 20,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, 8,000 assists, and 2,000 steals in career
2-time All-NBA first team selection ('98,'00), 5-time All-NBA second team selection ('95,'96,'97,'99,'02), 2-time All-NBA third team selection ('94,'01),
9-time NBA All-Star Selection ('94-'98, '00-'03)
1995-96 NBA Defensive Player of the Year (being the first guard to win the award since Michael Jordan in 1987-1988.)
Record 9 All-Defensive First Team selection, all consecutively (1994–2002)

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