Gary Payton facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the former basketball player. For his son and active basketball player, see Gary Payton II. For the astronaut, see Gary Payton (astronaut). For the actor, see Khary Payton.

Quick facts for kids
Gary Payton

Payton with the Miami Heat in 2007

Personal information

Born

July 23, 1968 (age 56)
Oakland, California, U.S.

High school

Skyline (Oakland, California)

Listed height

6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)

Listed weight

190 lb (86 kg)

Career information

College

Oregon State (1986–1990)

NBA Draft

1990 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall

Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics

Pro career

1990–2007

Career history

As player:

1990–2003

2003

2003–2004

2004–2005

2005–2007

As coach:

2017-2021

3 Headed Monsters

2022–present

Bivouac

Career highlights and awards

As player:

NBA champion (2006)
9× NBA All-Star (1994–1998, 2000–2003)
2× All-NBA First Team (1998, 2000)
5× All-NBA Second Team (1995–1997, 1999, 2002)
2× All-NBA Third Team (1994, 2001)
NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1996)
9× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1994–2002)
NBA steals leader (1996)
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1991)
NBA 75th Anniversary Team
Consensus first-team All-American (1990)
Pac-10 Player of the Year (1990)
3× All-Pac-10 (1988–1990)
Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year (1987)
No. 20 retired by Oregon State Beavers
USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (1999)

Career NBA statistics

Points

21,813 (16.3 ppg)

Rebounds

5,269 (3.9 rpg)

Assists

8,966 (6.7 apg)

Medals

Men's basketball

Representing the United States
Olympic Games
Gold	1996 Atlanta	Team competition
Gold	2000 Sydney	Team competition
FIBA Americas Championship
Gold	1999 San Juan	Team competition
Silver	1989 Mexico City	Team competition
FIBA U19 World Championship
Silver	1987 Bormio	Team competition

Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. (born July 23, 1968) is a famous American former professional basketball player. He played as a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Many people think he is one of the best point guards ever.

He is most famous for playing 13 years with the Seattle SuperSonics. He holds team records for assists and steals there. He also led them to the 1996 NBA Finals. Gary Payton later played for the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and Miami Heat. He won an NBA championship with the Heat in 2006.

Payton was nicknamed "the Glove" because of his amazing defensive skills. He was so good at guarding other players! In 2013, he was added to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2021, he was also named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

Gary Payton was the first point guard to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. He was the only one for 39 years until 2022! He was chosen for the NBA All-Defensive First Team nine times. This is an NBA record he shares with legends like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. He was also a nine-time NBA All-Star.

Gary Payton's Early Life

Gary Dwayne Payton was born on July 23, 1968. This was in Oakland, California. He went to Skyline High School. There, he was a great basketball player.

College Basketball Career

Payton went to Oregon State University. He became one of the best basketball players in the school's history. In his senior year (1989–90), he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. They called him the best college basketball player in the country.

He was chosen as an All-American. He was also a three-time All-Pac-10 player. He won the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year award in 1987. When he finished college, he held many school records. These included records for points, assists, and steals.

Professional NBA Career

Playing for the Seattle SuperSonics

Gary Payton was the second player picked in the 1990 NBA draft. He was chosen by the Seattle SuperSonics. He spent his first 12 and a half seasons with this team. At first, he struggled a bit. But soon, he became one of the best point guards in the league.

In the 1990s, Payton and Shawn Kemp were a famous duo. They were called the "Sonic Boom." Payton was chosen for the All-NBA team nine times in a row. He won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1996. He was the first point guard ever to win this award!

He was also selected for the NBA All-Star Team nine times. In 1996, Payton and the SuperSonics reached the 1996 NBA Finals. They won a team record of 64 games that year. But they lost to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls in six games.

Moving to Other Teams

In 2003, Payton was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. He played 28 games there. He then signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2003. He joined Karl Malone to try and win an NBA Championship. The Lakers made it to the 2004 NBA Finals but lost to the Detroit Pistons.

Before the 2004–05 season, Payton was traded to the Boston Celtics. He played as their starting point guard. In 2005, he signed with the Miami Heat. He joined his former teammates Antoine Walker and Shaquille O'Neal.

Winning an NBA Championship with Miami Heat

In the 2005-2006 season, Payton played a key role for the Heat. He often played in important moments during the fourth quarter. In Game 4 of the semifinals, he hit a big three-pointer to help the Heat win.

The Heat reached the 2006 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. Miami lost the first two games. In Game 3, Payton hit a game-winning shot to help the Heat avoid falling behind 3-0. The Heat won the series in six games. This was Payton's first and only NBA championship!

Gary Payton's Playing Style

Payton playing in the NBA Asia Challenge 2010 in the Philippines

His Personality on the Court

Gary Payton was famous for his "trash-talk." This means he would talk to his opponents during games. He said he did it to get their minds off the game. He wanted them to focus on him instead.

He also gave a funny "motivational speech" at the 2001 NBA All-Star Game. Many people remember it.

How "The Glove" Played

Payton's nickname, "The Glove," became popular in 1993. It showed how good he was at defense. He could "glove" (stick to) his opponents.

Many experts say Payton is one of the greatest point guards ever. He is known for being great on both offense and defense. He is ranked fifth all-time in career steals. He also shares the record for most NBA All-Defensive First Team selections with Michael Jordan.

Offensively, Payton was very strong. He used his height and strength to get to the basket. He was the NBA's top scorer among point guards in his prime.

Payton vs. Jordan Rivalry

Gary Payton is also known for being one of the best defenders against Michael Jordan. They had a big rivalry, especially in the 1996 NBA Finals. Both players were known for their strong defense and competitive spirit.

Midway through the 1996 Finals, Seattle's coach decided to have Payton guard Jordan. Even though the Bulls won, Payton's defense made it hard for Jordan to score. In Game 5, Jordan scored his second-lowest Finals points ever against Payton.

Payton later said, "You've got to get back at Jordan, you can't back down on him." This shows how competitive he was.

Always Ready to Play

Payton was very durable. In his 17-year career, he missed only 25 games! He once played 356 games in a row. This shows how tough he was.

Life After the NBA

Coaching and TV Work

After retiring, Payton worked as a TV analyst for NBA TV. He also coached basketball at Lincoln University in Oakland. Later, he became the head coach for the College of Alameda men's team.

Family Life

Payton is married to Monique James. They have three children: Gary II, Julian, and Raquel. His son, Gary II, is also an NBA player. He won an NBA Championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2022.

Helping the Community

Payton has done a lot to help his community. He started The Gary Payton Foundation in 1996. It helps young people in his hometown of Oakland. He also supports the Boys & Girls Club of America and the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

He wrote a children's book called Confidence Counts. It teaches kids about being confident.

Supporting Seattle Basketball

Payton wants the NBA team to return to Seattle. He does not want his retired jersey number to be in Oklahoma City. He wants it to stay in Seattle, where he played most of his career. He is working to bring the NBA back to Seattle.

NBA Career Statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1990–91	Seattle	82*	82	27.4	.450	.077	.711	3.0	6.4	2.0	.2	7.2
1991–92	Seattle	81	79	31.5	.451	.130	.669	3.6	6.2	1.8	.3	9.4
1992–93	Seattle	82	82	31.1	.494	.206	.770	3.4	4.9	2.2	.3	13.5
1993–94	Seattle	82*	82	35.1	.504	.278	.595	3.3	6.0	2.3	.2	16.5
1994–95	Seattle	82*	82*	36.8	.509	.302	.716	3.4	7.1	2.5	.2	20.6
1995–96	Seattle	81	81	39.0	.484	.328	.748	4.2	7.5	2.9*	.2	19.3
1996–97	Seattle	82	82*	39.2	.476	.313	.715	4.6	7.1	2.4	.2	21.8
1997–98	Seattle	82*	82*	38.4	.453	.338	.744	4.6	8.3	2.3	.2	19.2
1998–99	Seattle	50*	50*	40.2	.434	.295	.721	4.9	8.7	2.2	.2	21.7
1999–00	Seattle	82	82*	41.8	.448	.340	.735	6.5	8.9	1.9	.2	24.2
2000–01	Seattle	79	79	41.1	.456	.375	.766	4.6	8.1	1.6	.3	23.1
2001–02	Seattle	82	82	40.3	.467	.314	.797	4.8	9.0	1.6	.3	22.1
2002–03	Seattle	52	52	40.8	.448	.298	.692	4.8	8.8	1.8	.2	20.8
2002–03	Milwaukee	28	28	38.8	.466	.294	.746	3.1	7.4	1.4	.3	19.6
2003–04	L.A. Lakers	82	82	34.5	.471	.333	.714	4.2	5.5	1.2	.2	14.6
2004–05	Boston	77	77	33.0	.468	.326	.761	3.1	6.1	1.1	.2	11.3
2005–06†	Miami	81	25	28.5	.420	.287	.794	2.9	3.2	.9	.1	7.7
2006–07	Miami	68	28	22.1	.393	.260	.667	1.9	3.0	.6	.0	5.3
Career		1,335	1,233	35.3	.466	.317	.729	3.9	6.7	1.8	.2	16.3
All-Star		9	2	20.8	.436	.273	1.000	3.3	8.1	2.1	.0	9.4

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1991	Seattle	5	5	27.0	.407	.000	1.000	2.6	6.4	1.6	.2	4.8
1992	Seattle	8	8	27.6	.466	.000	.583	2.6	4.8	1.0	.3	7.6
1993	Seattle	19	19	31.8	.443	.167	.676	3.3	3.7	1.8	.2	12.3
1994	Seattle	5	5	36.2	.493	.333	.421	3.4	5.6	1.6	.4	15.8
1995	Seattle	4	4	43.0	.478	.200	.417	2.5	5.3	1.3	.0	17.8
1996	Seattle	21	21	43.4	.485	.410	.633	5.1	6.8	1.8	.3	20.7
1997	Seattle	12	12	45.5	.412	.333	.820	5.4	8.7	2.2	.3	23.8
1998	Seattle	10	10	42.8	.475	.380	.940	3.4	7.0	1.8	.1	24.0
2000	Seattle	5	5	44.2	.442	.391	.769	7.6	7.4	1.8	.2	25.8
2002	Seattle	5	5	41.4	.425	.267	.586	8.6	5.8	.6	.4	22.2
2003	Milwaukee	6	6	41.8	.429	.067	.700	3.0	8.7	1.3	.2	18.5
2004	L.A. Lakers	22	22	35.1	.366	.250	.750	3.3	5.3	1.0	.2	7.8
2005	Boston	7	7	34.1	.446	.071	.833	4.1	4.6	.9	.1	10.3
2006†	Miami	23	0	24.3	.422	.293	.720	1.7	1.6	1.0	.1	5.8
2007	Miami	2	0	16.0	.000	.000	–	2.0	1.5	.0	.0	.0
Career		154	129	35.6	.441	.315	.706	3.7	5.3	1.4	.2	14.0

Awards and 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: 1994–2002 (shares record with Michael Jordan, Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant)
NBA All-Rookie Second Team: 1991
Led NBA in assists: 1999–2000 (732)
Led NBA in steals: 1995–96 (231)
NBA 75th Anniversary Team: 2021

Other Achievements

Two-time Olympic gold medalist with the United States team: 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney.
Ranked #10 on ESPN's Top 10 NBA Point Guards of All Time.
In 2008, he was named the best #2 draft pick in NBA history (since 1985).
He is tied for #1 in All-Star game free throw percentage. He never missed a free throw in 8 attempts.
In 2006, TNT chose Payton as one of the next 10 players to be added to the list of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.
He has been on the cover of Sports Illustrated six times.
The Seattle Mayor's Office declared June 6, 2000, as "Gary Payton Day."
In 1999, Charles Barkley called Payton "the greatest player in the world."

Images for kids

Payton (left) during his time with the Lakers
Payton teaching young people at an NBA Cares event in 2012