Elfrid Payton (basketball) facts for kids
Payton with the Orlando Magic in 2014
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| No. 2 – Birmingham Squadron | |||||||||||
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| Point guard | |||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | February 22, 1994 Gretna, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| High school | John Ehret (Jefferson Parish, Louisiana) |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| College | Louisiana (2011–2014) | ||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10th overall | ||||||||||
| Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers | |||||||||||
| Pro career | 2014–present | ||||||||||
| League | NBA G League | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| 2014–2018 | Orlando Magic | ||||||||||
| 2018 | Phoenix Suns | ||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | New Orleans Pelicans | ||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | New York Knicks | ||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Phoenix Suns | ||||||||||
| 2023 | Fort Wayne Mad Ants | ||||||||||
| 2023 | Osos de Manatí | ||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Indiana Mad Ants | ||||||||||
| 2024 | New Orleans Pelicans | ||||||||||
| 2024–present | Birmingham Squadron | ||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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Medals
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Elfrid Payton Jr. (born February 22, 1994) is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Birmingham Squadron in the NBA G League. Payton is known for his skills as a Point guard, helping his team score and defend.
He played college basketball at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. In 2014, he won the Lefty Driesell Award. This award is given to the best defensive player in college basketball. Payton was picked 10th overall in the 2014 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. However, he was quickly traded to the Orlando Magic.
Contents
College Career
Elfrid Payton was not a highly famous player when he finished John Ehret High School in Louisiana. He decided to play for Louisiana–Lafayette. In his second year (2012–13), he became a star player.
He scored about 16 points, grabbed 5.6 rebounds, and made 5.5 assists per game. He was also great at stealing the ball, with 2.4 steals per game. Because of his excellent play, he was named to the first team All-Sun Belt Conference.
After this great season, Payton joined the USA team for the U19 World Championships. He started in all nine games for Team USA. This team had many talented players, including Marcus Smart and Aaron Gordon. The team won the gold medal, winning all nine games in the tournament.
In his junior year (2013–14), Payton became one of the best defensive players in college basketball. He improved his scoring to 19.2 points per game. He also averaged 5.9 assists, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.3 steals. He led his team, the Ragin' Cajuns, to the NCAA Tournament. He was again named first team All-Sun Belt. He also won the conference's Defensive Player of the Year award. At the end of the season, he received the Lefty Driesell Award. This award recognized him as the best defensive player in college basketball.
In April 2014, Payton decided to enter the NBA draft. This meant he gave up his last year of college basketball.
Professional Career
Orlando Magic (2014–2018)
On June 26, 2014, the Philadelphia 76ers picked Payton 10th in the 2014 NBA draft. But he was traded right away to the Orlando Magic. He signed his first NBA contract on July 2. His first NBA game was on October 29, 2014.
Payton had a great game on January 16, 2015, scoring 22 points and making 12 assists. He was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for January. He also played in the Rising Stars Challenge. On March 18, he achieved his first career triple-double. This means he had at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in one game. He did it again two days later, becoming the first Magic player to have two triple-doubles in a row. He was also the first NBA rookie to do this since 1997.
In the 2015–16 season, Payton scored a career-high 24 points on November 18, 2015. He played in 116 games in a row before an ankle injury. On March 23, 2016, he got his third career triple-double.
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During the 2016–17 season, Payton continued to improve. On December 6, 2016, he scored a career-high 25 points. A week later, he set new career highs with 26 points and 14 assists. On January 14, 2017, he scored 28 points, another career best. He had his first triple-double of the season on March 6, 2017. He then got two more triple-doubles in the next week. By the end of the season, he had five triple-doubles.
In the 2017–18 season, Payton missed some games due to a hamstring injury. When he returned, he helped the Magic win games. On December 23, 2017, he scored a career-high 30 points.
Phoenix Suns (2018)
On February 8, 2018, Payton was traded to the Phoenix Suns. He played his first game for the Suns two days later, scoring 19 points. In his second game, he scored 29 points. On February 14, he recorded a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists. He achieved his second triple-double with the Suns on March 4, making him the fastest Suns player to get two triple-doubles.
New Orleans Pelicans (2018–2019)
On July 9, 2018, Payton signed with his hometown team, the New Orleans Pelicans. In his first game for the Pelicans on October 17, 2018, he had a triple-double. This was his 11th career triple-double.
He missed some games due to injuries, including a sprained ankle and a broken finger. When he returned, he continued to show his skills. In March 2019, he had an amazing streak of five triple-doubles in a row. He joined a very small group of NBA legends who have done this, like Michael Jordan and Russell Westbrook. He also tied the Pelicans' record for most triple-doubles in a single season.
New York Knicks (2019–2021)
On July 9, 2019, Payton signed with the New York Knicks. He faced more injuries early in his time with the Knicks. However, when he played, he helped the team with his playmaking. On February 3, 2020, he recorded his 17th career triple-double. In the next game, he had a career-high seven steals. He was later re-signed by the Knicks in November 2020.
Later Career (2021–Present)
After his time with the Knicks, Payton signed with the Phoenix Suns again on August 10, 2021.
In 2023, Payton played for the Indiana Mad Ants in the G League. He also played for Osos de Manatí in the Puerto Rican league.
In 2024, Payton briefly signed with the New Orleans Pelicans again. He then joined the Birmingham Squadron in the G League. He had another short return to the Pelicans in November 2024, where he set a new career high with 21 assists in a game. He later rejoined the Birmingham Squadron.
National Team Career
In 2013, Elfrid Payton was chosen to play for the United States team in the 2013 FIBA Under-19 World Championship. He helped the team win the gold medal. He averaged 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game during the tournament.
Personal Life
Elfrid Payton's father, also named Elfrid Payton, was a professional football player in the Canadian Football League.
For his first few years in the NBA, Payton was famous for his unique, free-flowing hairstyle. Many fans of the Orlando Magic loved his hair. He cut his hair in May 2018.
See also
In Spanish: Elfrid Payton para niños
