Hoops Habit
Fansided

NBA Draft: 30 greatest draft picks in league history

By Josh Cornelissen

Larry Bird, Boston Celtics, Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers. (Photo by Tom Herde/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Larry Bird, Boston Celtics, Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers. (Photo by Tom Herde/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
13 of 31
Next
Gary Payton, Seattle SuperSonics
Gary Payton, Seattle SuperSonics. (Photo by Matt A. Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Greatest NBA Draft picks in league history: Gary Payton, OKC Thunder (Sonics)

Some point guards make their legacy as scorers, dancing with the ball in their hands before finishing in creative fashion. Others make their legacy as distributors, setting up teammates and accruing gaudy assist totals. Only one Hall of Fame point guard ever made his legacy as a defender.

Gary “The Glove” Payton attended Oregon State, becoming one of the nation’s best college players. After setting school records in points, assists and steals (records he holds today) the then-Seattle SuperSonics chose him No. 2 overall in the 1990 NBA Draft. He would spend the next 12-plus seasons with Seattle.

Beginning in 1994, Payton would make nine consecutive All-NBA selections, including two appearances on the First Team. That coincided with his nine All-Defensive Team selections. In 1996, he became the first and only point guard to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year. The SuperSonics reached the NBA Finals in 1996, but could not overcome Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

While Payton never won a title with the SuperSonics, he did not leave them empty-handed. In early 2003, he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for a robust package including Ray Allen. With their first-round pick, the SuperSonics got 12.5 seasons of a Hall of Fame player and then plenty of younger players in return.