Payton was chosen by the Seattle SuperSonics as the second overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft. Payton defeated the Nuggets on the road with 13 points and 10 assists in the third game of his career, recording his first double-double.
On February 23, 1991, Payton recorded his first triple-double of his career by collecting 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in a losing effort against the Suns. After that, Payton only scored two points in the game, but he had a career-high 16 assists.
Along with Slick Watts and Nate McMillan, he was one of just three SuperSonics players to register 16 or more assists in a single season.
Why was Gary Payton the glove?
Payton led the Heat to an NBA title in 2006. For his defensive skills, Payton earned the moniker “the Glove,” and in 2013 he was admitted to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
During the 1993 Western Conference Finals versus Phoenix, Payton’s defensive prowess earned him the moniker “The Glove.”
He was a nine-time NBA All-Star as well as a member of the All-NBA Team. As complete a guard as there has ever been, according to Basketball Hall of Famer Gail Goodrich, was Payton.
