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Oklahoma City Thunder: 25 Best Players To Play For The Thunder

By Phil Watson

May 28, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; General view of t-shirts lining the seats before the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors in game six of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
May 28, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; General view of t-shirts lining the seats before the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors in game six of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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SEATTLE – DECEMBER 26: Gary Payton #20 of the Seattle Sonics drives to the basket during the NBA game against the Toronto Raptors at Key Arena on December 26, 2002 in Seattle, Washington. The Sonics won 97-88. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE – DECEMBER 26: Gary Payton #20 of the Seattle Sonics drives to the basket during the NBA game against the Toronto Raptors at Key Arena on December 26, 2002 in Seattle, Washington. The Sonics won 97-88. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /

1990-2003. Gary Payton. 2. player. 149. 2nd overall pick from Oregon State, 1990 NBA Draft.. PG

Gary Payton had earned All-America honors as a senior at Oregon State, averaging nearly 26 points, more than eight assists and almost five rebounds a game.

The Seattle SuperSonics went with Payton as the No. 2 overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft and wound up with the greatest player in the Seattle portion of the franchise’s history.

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Payton was the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1995-96—the only point guard to win the award–and was a nine-time All-Star with the Sonics while also being named to nine All-NBA teams and nine All-Defensive squads.

He finished third in the MVP voting in 1997-98, as well, and developed an outside shot later in his career, leading the NBA in three-pointers in 1999-2000.

Payton led the league in steals in 1995-96, finished third in both 1994-95 and 1996-97 and fourth in 1997-98. He was second in minutes per game in 1999-2000 as well as third in assists in 2001-02, fourth in 1998-99 and 1999-2000 and fifth in 2000-01.

In the 1996 NBA Finals against the Chicago Bulls, Payton averaged 18 points, 7.0 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 45.7 minutes per game, shooting .444/.333/.731 as Seattle lost in six games.

With his contract set to expire, the Sonics traded Payton and Desmond Mason to the Milwaukee Bucks in February 2003 in exchange for Ray Allen, Ronald Murray, Kevin Ollie and a first-round pick in 2003.

In parts of 13 seasons in Seattle, Payton averaged 18.2 points, 7.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 steals in 36.9 minutes per game, shooting .469/.321/.726.

Payton signed with the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent in July 2003, playing in the NBA Finals the following spring, and was traded in August 2004 to the Boston Celtics.

In February 2005, Payton was dealt to the Atlanta Hawks and waived five days later, rejoining the Celtics in March of that year.

In September 2005, he signed with the Miami Heat as a free agent and was part of Miami’s 2006 NBA championship club. He played one more season with the Heat, retiring after the 2006-07 season.

Payton is 13th in NBA history with 1,335 games, 12th with 47,117 minutes played, eighth with 8,966 assists, fourth with 2,445 steals, 31st with 21,813 points, 32nd with an average of 6.7 assists per game and 26th with an average of 1.8 steals per game.

He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013 and is one of the most outspoken advocates attempting to bring an NBA franchise back to Seattle.

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