Gary Payton

Gary Payton is the only point guard in NBA history to win Defensive Player of the Year, claiming the 1995-96 award while leading the Seattle SuperSonics to the NBA Finals — a season that established his two-way credentials as the most complete combination at the position of his era. His defensive work on Michael Jordan in that Finals, holding Jordan to below-his-average shooting percentages across the series, became one of the most discussed individual defensive assignments in playoff history.

"The Glove" was an apt descriptor for a player whose defensive philosophy was based on total denial — getting into the ball handler's chest, reading the pass before it left the passer's hand, and manufacturing turnovers through anticipation rather than reactive gambling. He is fourth on the all-time steals list with 2,445 — an accumulation that reflects 17 years of active, high-engagement defense at the position where offensive freedom tends to be greatest.

Offensively, Payton was a willing scorer and capable playmaker who prioritized efficiency over accumulation. His eighth-place standing on the all-time assists list with 8,966 career dimes demonstrates the volume of his distribution over his career. He won a championship ring with the Miami Heat in 2006, at age 37, as a role player on a team built around Dwyane Wade — a final chapter that completed a Hall of Fame résumé.

Payton attended Oregon State, where he became the school's all-time assists leader before Seattle drafted him 2nd overall in 1990. He spent the first 13 of his 17 professional seasons with the SuperSonics, making him the defining player of a franchise whose departure from Seattle remains one of the more painful relocations in recent sports history.