Hoops Habit
Fansided

Ranking the 75 best players in NBA history for 75th anniversary

By Josh Cornelissen

Kobe Bryant (Photo credit should read Vince Bucci/AFP via Getty Images)
Kobe Bryant (Photo credit should read Vince Bucci/AFP via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
50 of 78
Next
NBA
Gary Payton, Seattle SuperSonic. (Photo by DAN LEVINE/AFP via Getty Images) /

Ranking the 75 best players in NBA history: No. 48 – Gary Payton

Career: 1990 – 2007

Achievements: 2006 champion; All-NBA (9x); All-Star (9x); All-Defense (9x); Defensive Player of the Year; led the league in steals (1x); 10th in career assists; fourth in career steals

Gary Payton was the premier defensive guard of the 1990s and early 2000s, a standing that earned him the ultimate nickname of “The Glove” for how closely he played opposing guards. He is the only point guard in league history to win Defensive Player of the Year, and he totaled nine All-Defense selections.

No offensive slouch, Payton loved to take smaller guards into the post and score over them. He was a solid passer and was at the helm for multiple top offenses. His calling card was still his defense, and he ranks fourth in career steals as one of the ultimate swipemen.

Payton’s confidence was limitless, and his ego big enough to fill the room. He has one son named Gary Payton Jr., and another son named Gary Payton II. One of his career accomplishments was checking his ego at the door and buying in on the 2006 Miami Heat, where he finally secured a title.