During his prime, there is no denying that Gary Payton was someone any team would have loved to have. Not only did “The Glove” orchestrate plays, but he was also a great defensive player.
GP was the second overall pick of the 1990 Draft by the Seattle Supersonics . His career started slow, although he did show signs of promise. It was in his third season when the 6-foot-4 guard started to shine.
It was all uphill from there, with Payton figuring prominently in the Most Valuable Player race by the 1993-94 season. He was also a nine-time All-Defensive First team member (1994-2002) and won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in 1996.
Given his accolades, the only thing missing in the resume of the 9-time All-Star was an NBA ring. When things soured between him and the Sonics in 2001, buzz flew that former Oregon State Beaver would be leaving soon.
The earliest that could have happened was by the trade deadline in February 2001. His name was being floated around the league at the time. However, dealing away someone with of his caliber was not easy.
Payton wanted to join a winner
Despite his outstanding performances, Payton was labeled as a locker-room cancer. He was perceived as selfish and these were traits that could turn potential teams off.
Also, GP had certain conditions he wanted to be met. That included joining a winning team and a club where he would be comfortable.
“I'm not going to anybody. I don't care about that. Like I've told people, it's good to be here, but if (a trade happens), I'm not going to cry about it. I'm going to take it in stride,” Payton said at the time via UPI.com .
With those factors, it took the Sonics time to find a taker. It was not until 2003 that the Sonics were able to come to terms with the Milwaukee Bucks in a multiteam deal.
Seattle sent Payton and Desmond Mason to the Bucks in exchange for Ray Allen, Kevin Ollie, Ronald Murray, and a future pick.
Payton played in 28 regular season games and six playoff games with the Bucks. By the end of the season, he would move again, this time to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Joining Lakers’ Fab Four
Being an unrestricted free agent, Payton signed with the Lakers. He teamed up with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal at the time. Karl Malone was also signed that year, making the purple and gold an odds-on favorite to win it all.
Although they made the Finals, the Lakers bowed to the Detroit Pistons in five games. It was here when GP’s production started to decline as he adjusted to joining good teams.
After LA, he would move to the Boston Celtics in the 2004-05 season and then to the South Beach. However, GP would finally get his due during the 2005-06 season. Despite his dwindling numbers, The Glove would finally win his first NBA title with the Miami Heat that season. The 2006-07 season would be his last hurrah, as he retired after that run.
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