Gary Payton

American basketball player

Born: July 23, 1968

SportsFamous Persons

Who is Gary Payton?

Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. (born July 23, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 17 seasons. Gary Dwayne Payton was born in Oakland, California. He spent the majority of his career with the Seattle SuperSonics, where he holds franchise records in assists and steals, and later played short stints for the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and Miami Heat. He made three NBA Finals appearances: with the Sonics in 1996, the Lakers in 2004, and the Heat in 2006, winning in the last.

Payton playing in the NBA Asia Challenge 2010 in the Philippines

Historical significance

Nicknamed "the Glove" for his defensive abilities, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest point guards of all time. Payton was the first (and, until Marcus Smart was selected in 2022, only) point guard to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. He was selected for nine All-NBA Teams, All-Defensive First Teams (tying the record), and All-Star Games each. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013 and named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.

Payton instructing youth from the Nellis Air Force Base community during NBA Cares Hoops for Troops event, 2012

Sources and further reading

Use the dated article for the day-specific account; use these references to check the event record and explore its wider historical context.

Wikipedia source

Cite this page

MLA

“Gary Payton.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/gary-payton/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

APA

Gary Payton. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/gary-payton/

Chicago

“Gary Payton.” thisDay. Accessed October 19, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/gary-payton/.

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