Gary Payton was a superstar during the Seattle Supersonics era. Not only was he a great point guard, he was also a great defender. Many superstars like Clyde Drexler hated playing against Payton as he lived under the Glove nickname.
Drafted in 1990, Gary Payton was one of the most impressive point guards of the decade. He was a Seattle Supersonics superstar and led them to the NBA Finals against the Chicago Bulls in 1996. Payton was so good that he was a great match for Michael Jordan in that series.
Like Jordan, Clyde “Zaglyde” Drexler was a superstar scorer in the 1990s. He was the cornerstone of the Portland Trail Blazers and led them to two NBA Finals. Drexler played against many defenders during his career, but Payton always stood out against him.
Payton is a 6’4” point guard and he’s a little taller than most players in that position. That is, he could match the shooting guard, so he could play more hybrid roles in defense. He also had long arms, which helped him cover the space for tall players.
Payton is also known for his trash stories, especially as he speaks up naturally. Even today he loves to talk about games, often giving his opinion on current events, like when the New York Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau.
With an aptly nickname called “The Glove,” Payton has become one of the league’s best defenders. He even became the first point guard to win the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1996. Payton was the only player to do that until Marcus Smart did it in 2022, almost 30 years after Globe’s victory.
He has physical tools and he is relentless, so it was extremely difficult to pass the defense of Payton. It made him a very tough player to pass him because he had all the traits of a top defender. Drexler was one of the players who knew he was in a hard game when he played against the Sonics as Peyton was protecting him.
“The GP is a ‘glove’. In defense, he was like a glove. It was a nightmare for the point guard (he) had long arms.
Payton was a top defender, so he influenced many small guards to play like him. Names like Patrick Beverly also performed their clear, provocative, physical style on the defensive side.
Payton also has a son named Gary Payton II. He is one of the greatest defenders of the present day. The older Payton is a bolder defender who loves to throw away the trash while doing so, but the younger Payton is like a mainstay that can be straightforward, but he doesn’t talk much.
That’s why Payton’s opinion on protecting modern players is important because he gave the team a blueprint for defeating Shy Gilgus Alexander. The Indiana Pacers deployed such a defense during the NBA Finals. Because they prevented the 2025 MVP from dominating the game with Payton-inspired defenses.
Remembered nostalgically as a glove, Payton has always had a place in NBA history. He was the pinnacle of defensively oriented point guard, but he did more. Payton was a multiple-time All-star not only as a defender but also as an impactful floor general. When most people see his career, they will know that he is one of the best point guards of all time in the NBA.