YouTube Gold: The Best of Gary Payton

Gary Payton built an NBA Hall of Fame career from 1990 to 2007. Originally from Oakland, California, Payton went to Oregon State, where he built a huge reputation as an all-around defender and point guard.

He was the second pick in the 1990 draft, chosen by Seattle behind Derrick Coleman and ahead of Chris Jackson, now known as Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf.

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It took Payton a couple of years to really establish himself as a top-tier point guard, but he did it and then some.

Known as “the glove,” Payton was celebrated above all for two things: his superb defense – he was the first point guard to win the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year – and his incessant trash talking. Many people consider Larry Bird the greatest talker in NBA history, but Payton is almost certainly a close second.

Most of his career was spent with the SuperSonics, but he played for four other teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. In 2006, he helped the Miami Heat win the NBA championship.

This video focuses mainly on Payton’s offensive talent and some of these plays are spectacular. Incidentally, look for one against the Chicago Bulls where he takes the time to do something most people tried so hard not to do: woof to Michael Jordan right after he scores.

The man has never lacked confidence.

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