Gary Payton

Last updated

Gary Payton
Gary Payton, Miami Heat circa 2007 (cropped).jpg
Payton with the Miami Heat in 2007
Personal information
Born (1968-07-23) July 23, 1968 (age 56)
Oakland, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school Skyline (Oakland, California)
College Oregon State (1986–1990)
NBA draft 1990: 1st round, 2nd overall pick
Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics
Playing career1990–2007
Position Point guard
Number2, 20
Career history
As player:
1990–2003 Seattle SuperSonics
2003 Milwaukee Bucks
2003–2004 Los Angeles Lakers
2004–2005 Boston Celtics
2005–2007 Miami Heat
As coach:
2017-2021 3 Headed Monsters
2022–present Bivouac
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As head coach

Career NBA statistics
Points 21,813 (16.3 ppg)
Rebounds 5,269 (3.9 rpg)
Assists 8,966 (6.7 apg)
Stats at NBA.com  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Stats at Basketball Reference
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1996 Atlanta Team competition
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2000 Sydney Team competition
FIBA Americas Championship
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1999 San Juan Team competition
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1989 Mexico City Team competition
FIBA U19 World Championship
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1987 Bormio Team competition

Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. [1] (born July 23, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who was a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, he is best known for his 13-year tenure with the Seattle SuperSonics, where he holds franchise records in assists and steals and led them to an NBA Finals appearance. He also played with the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and Miami Heat. Payton won an NBA championship with the Heat in 2006. Nicknamed "the Glove" for his defensive abilities, Payton was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013. [2] In October 2021, Payton was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. [3]

Contents

Payton is the first point guard to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, and the only point guard winner in the award's first 39 years, until Marcus Smart was selected in 2022. [4] [5] He was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team nine times, an NBA record he shares with Michael Jordan, Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant. [6] He was also a nine-time NBA All-Star and a nine-time All-NBA Team member. Payton was called "probably as complete a guard as there ever was" [7] by Basketball Hall of Famer Gail Goodrich.

Early life

Gary Dwayne Payton was born on July 23, 1968, in Oakland, California. [1] He attended Skyline High School, [8] where he excelled in basketball along with former NBA player Greg Foster.

College career

Payton attended Oregon State University in Corvallis. At one point, he wanted to attend The University of Texas at El Paso, but Don Haskins later rescinded his offer after Payton was deciding between UTEP and St. John's. [9] In his sophomore year of high school, [10] his grades plummeted and he was declared academically ineligible. His father encouraged him to focus on school, and he was allowed to play again. Throughout his four-year career at Oregon State, he became one of the most decorated basketball players in school history.

During his senior season in 1989–90, Payton was featured in the cover story of Sports Illustrated on March 5 as the nation's best college basketball player. [10] He was a consensus All-American, a three-time All-Pac-10 selection, and both the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and conference Freshman of the Year in 1987. He was the MVP of the Far West Classic tournament three times, the Pac-10 Player of the Week nine times, and named to the Pac-10's All-Decade Team. At the time of his graduation, Payton held the school record for points, field goals, three-point field goals, assists, and steals – all of which he still holds today except for career points and three-point field goals. During his career at OSU, the Beavers made three NCAA tournament appearances and one NIT appearance. He was elected into OSU's Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. [11]

Professional career

Seattle SuperSonics (1990–2003)

Payton was the second overall pick in the 1990 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. In his third career game, Payton recorded his first double-double after recording 13 points and 10 assists in a road win over the Nuggets. On February 23, 1991, Payton recorded his first career triple-double after recording 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in a losing effort to the Suns. The following game, Payton scored only 2 points but dished out 16 assists, a then career-high for him. He joined Slick Watts and Nate McMillan as the only SuperSonics' players to have dished out 16 or more assists in his rookie season. Throughout his rookie campaign, Payton recorded 8 point-assist double-doubles, the most by any SuperSonics' player in history. His average for his rookie season is 7.2 points per game, 3.0 rebounds per game, 6.4 assists per game, and 2.0 steals per game. [12]

In his second season, Payton recorded 2 triple-doubles on the whole season joining Slick Watts and Nate McMillan at that time to have recorded 2 triple-doubles in a season in Supersonics franchise history. He scored a season-high 22 points to go along with 7 assists in a road win over the Bullets on November 19, 1991. His season average is 9.4 points per game, 3.6 rebounds per game, 6.2 assists per game, 1.8 steals per game, and 0.3 blocks per game. [12]

Payton spent his first 12½ seasons with the Sonics. Entering the league to star-studded expectations, Payton struggled during his first two seasons in the league, averaging 8.2 points per game during that span. However, he soon proved himself to be one of the league's top point guards, while, during the 1990s Payton, alongside Shawn Kemp formed the "Sonic Boom". He earned his first of 9 consecutive All-NBA team selections when he was chosen to the All-NBA Third team in 1994. Payton would go on to make the All-NBA First-Team in 1998 and 2000, All-NBA Second Team in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, and 2002, and All-NBA Third Team in 1994 and 2001. He was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team a record nine consecutive seasons (1994–2002), and won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1996, the first point guard to win the award. [13] He has been selected to the NBA All-Star Team nine times and was voted as a starter in 1997 and 1998. He was a member of the gold medal-winning 1996 and 2000 U.S. Men's Olympic Basketball Teams. In 1996, Payton and the SuperSonics, under coach George Karl, reached the NBA Finals after winning a franchise record 64 games and lost in six games to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. [14]

In 2001, the SuperSonics were bought by Howard Schultz, with whom Payton had a sour relationship. When Payton did not attend the first day of training camp in 2002, Schultz insisted that Payton be traded. [15]

Milwaukee Bucks (2003)

In the middle of the 2002–03 season at the trade deadline, Payton was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks along with Desmond Mason in exchange for Ray Allen, Kevin Ollie, Ronald Murray and 2003 first-round draft pick. Payton played the remaining 28 games with the Bucks, averaging 19.6 points and 7.4 assists per game. The Bucks faced the defending Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets in the first round of the playoffs, pushing the Nets to six games before losing to the more experienced and well rounded Nets. Payton led the Bucks in scoring (18.5) and assists (8.7) during the series, which included a 20-point, 14-assist performance in a Game 4 Milwaukee win.

Los Angeles Lakers (2003–2004)

Payton (left) during his stint with the Lakers Lakers Grizzlies 200304.jpg
Payton (left) during his stint with the Lakers

As an unrestricted free agent prior to the 2003–04 season, Payton, along with Karl Malone, signed with the Los Angeles Lakers to make a run at their first NBA Championship. Payton started in all 82 games and averaged 14.6 points with 5.5 assists and 1.2 steals, but struggled with Lakers coach Phil Jackson's triangle offense, which limited his ball-handling and post-up opportunities. [16] [17] Payton provided offense in games where superstar teammates Shaquille O'Neal or Kobe Bryant could not play due to injury, including a 30-point outburst in an overtime win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 4.

Despite injuries to Malone, O'Neal and Bryant throughout the season, the Lakers won 56 games and the Pacific Division. In the playoffs, Payton averaged just 7.8 points per game, but scored 15 points in Games 3 and 6 of the Lakers' semifinals series against the San Antonio Spurs, and scored 18 points to go with nine assists in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers would reach the NBA Finals before falling to the Detroit Pistons in five games.

Boston Celtics (2004–2005)

Prior to the 2004–05 season, the Lakers traded Payton and Rick Fox to the Boston Celtics for center Chris Mihm, small forward Jumaine Jones and point guard Chucky Atkins. While Payton expressed displeasure with the trade, he ultimately did report to Boston and began the 2004–05 season as the Celtics' starting point guard. On February 24, 2005, Payton was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a deal that brought former Celtic Antoine Walker back to Boston. The Hawks then waived Payton immediately following the trade, and he returned a week later to Boston as a free agent. Payton started all 77 games he played for Boston and averaged 11.3 points per game and 6.1 assists as the Celtics won the Atlantic Division before losing in the first round to the Indiana Pacers.

Miami Heat (2005–2007)

On September 22, 2005, he signed a one-year $1.1 million contract with Miami, reuniting with Walker (who was acquired seven weeks earlier by the Heat), as well as former Lakers' teammate Shaquille O'Neal. Serving as a backup to Jason Williams, Payton averaged 7.7 points and started 25 of 81 games. In the playoffs, Payton did not start but averaged 24.3 minutes a game after averaging 28.5 minutes during the regular season, often playing during pressure situations in the 4th quarter of games. In Game 4 of the semifinals against the New Jersey Nets, Payton hit a critical three-pointer with 56 seconds left in the game to clinch the Heat victory. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on the road against the Detroit Pistons, Payton scored 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting, helping the Heat set the tone in the series. Miami won the series in 6 games to reach the team's first ever Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. Miami lost the first two games in Dallas and trailed in the final quarter of Game 3 before a comeback led by Dwyane Wade culminated with a Jason Williams pass to Payton, who faked his defender and hit the game-winning jump shot to keep Miami from falling 3–0 in the series. In Game 5, Payton scored 8 points, including Miami's final field goal with 29 seconds left, to help clinch a one-point victory. The Heat returned to Dallas for Game 6 and won 95–92, securing their first and Payton's only NBA title.

On September 6, 2006, the 38-year-old Payton re-signed with the defending champion Miami Heat on a one-year, $1.2 million contract. During the subsequent 2006–07 NBA season, Payton continued to climb up several NBA all-time lists: he moved from 17th to 8th in all-time NBA games played, passed John Havlicek and Robert Parish to move into 7th in all-time minutes played, and passed Hal Greer and Larry Bird to become the 21st-highest scorer in NBA history.

Player profile

Payton playing in the NBA Asia Challenge 2010 in the Philippines Gary Payton NBA Asia Challenge 2010.jpg
Payton playing in the NBA Asia Challenge 2010 in the Philippines

Personality

Payton is well known for his trash-talk. He received the fourth-most technical fouls of all time (behind Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, and Rasheed Wallace) with 250. [18] Of his trash talking, Payton has stated "I never take it too far...I just try to talk and get their mind off the game, and turn their attention on me", adding that "sometimes I get accused of trash talking even though I'm not...[referees and spectators] immediately figure you're trash talking. But I could be talking to a guy about what's going on or asking about his family." [19]

In addition, All-Star point guard Jason Kidd has referred to Payton as a "mentor" for the way he treated Kidd growing up in the same neighborhood of Oakland. [20] [21]

In 2001, he gave a humorous, televised "motivational speech" to his team during the NBA All-Star Game. [22]

Playing style

Payton's nickname of "The Glove" in reference to his defensive skills was popularized during the 1993 Western Conference Finals series against Phoenix. [23]

Since Payton's career ended in 2007, he has been mentioned among the all-time greatest point guards. Gail Goodrich, who played with Hall of Fame guard Jerry West, said "Gary Payton is probably as complete a guard as there ever was." [7] Kevin Johnson considers Payton "certainly...amongst the best ever" and "just as intimidating...maybe even more so than all-time greats Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Tiny Archibald, and Maurice Cheeks." When asked to classify the best players in each position of the late 1990s and early 21st century, NBA coach George Karl said of Payton, "I don't know who else you'd take at point guard. Some say Jason Kidd. Well, every time Gary went nose-to-nose with Kidd, Gary won that matchup." [24]

Payton is ranked 35th all-time in points scored, and 11th in assists, but he is most widely recognized for his defensive contributions. The Sporting News said in 2000 that Payton was "building a case as the best two-way point guard in history", and asked "If you weigh offense and defense equally, is Payton the best ever?" [25] When comparing Payton to the all-time greats, it has been said that "Payton arguably is the best defender of them all, and his offensive game is better than most." [24]

His defensive prowess was once described by Kevin Johnson:

"You think of guys with great hands, like Maurice Cheeks and Derek Harper. Gary is like that. But he's also a great individual defender and a great team defender. He has all three components covered. That's very rare." [25]

Offensively, Payton was not a particularly strong shooter, but was much more physical than most point guards of his era, preferring to use his 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) body frame and strength to shield defenders on his way to the basket or posting up his opponent in an isolation play. Nonetheless, in his prime, Payton was the "NBA's reigning high scorer among point guards." [24]

He was the only guard to have won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award since Michael Jordan in 1988, until Marcus Smart received the award in 2022. Also, he, Jordan, Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant share the record for most career NBA All-Defensive First Team selections, with nine. He is currently fifth all-time in career steals. Payton also ranks fifth all-time among guards in defensive rebounds though not alone, 12th in offensive rebounds, and 10th in total rebounds for a guard. Among players considered point guards, Payton ranks 3rd in defensive rebounds, 5th in offensive rebounds, and 4th in total rebounds, behind Jason Kidd, Oscar Robertson, and Magic Johnson. In 2021, to commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary The Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Payton as the 48th greatest player in NBA history. [26]

In 2006, he was referred to as "obviously...one of the greatest clutch shooters of our time". [27]

Payton vs. Jordan

Payton is also considered one of the best defensive opponents of Michael Jordan, [28] and the two players had a high-profile rivalry that culminated in the 1996 NBA Finals. Jordan and Payton have both won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award and despite their different positions (shooting guard and point guard respectively), they were well matched for other reasons. Both were prodigious "trash talkers" [29] (Larry Johnson once named Payton, Jordan and himself the best three trash talkers in the league), [30] had legendary competitiveness, and as the 1997 NBA Preview magazine stated, "Payton [was] quick, and strong as an ox", making him the kind of player who could frustrate Jordan defensively.

Midway through the 1996 NBA Finals, Seattle coach George Karl decided to assign Payton to defend Jordan, instead of his normal role defending the Bulls' point guards. Though the Bulls won the series, Seattle's (and especially Payton's) defense held Jordan and the Bulls to their lowest offensive output in an NBA finals and "frustrated the best player in the game." [31] In a Game 5 preview after Payton had held Jordan to a career NBA Finals low of 23, an NBA pregame show described the rivalry of two strong defensive players renowned for their competitiveness.

"[In Game 4, Jordan had his] lowest output in a Finals game, much of it with Payton guarding him. Though afterwards, Jordan refused to give Payton credit, saying 'No one can stop me, I can only stop myself. I missed some easy shots.' The truth is, Jordan finds the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year [Payton] annoying. He views the [young Payton] as impudent, and he would love to have a big game at [Payton's] expense." (NBA on NBC Preview, Game 5) [32]

The Sonics won that game by 21 points and Payton held Jordan to 26 points – Jordan's second-lowest-scoring Finals game in his career up to that point. In Game 6, which the Bulls won to capture the Championship, Payton played 47 minutes and Jordan missed 14 of his 19 shots, getting a career Finals low 22 points. [33] Bill Walton, commentating for NBC at the time, said Payton "outplayed" Jordan during the second half of the series, and that Seattle coach George Karl would "rue" the decision to "hide [Payton] from 'the king'" in the early games of the series. [34]

Later, of his performance that series, Payton said "You've got to get back at Jordan, you can't back down on him. If you do, he's like a wolf, he's going to eat everything. He knew I wasn't going to back down. I had to realize or see if he is really about being a dog, about this neighborhood stuff. I went at him. It was just me being me." [28]

Durability

In his 17-year career, Payton missed only 25 games, and at one point held the longest active streak for consecutive games played, with 356; the streak ended in January 2001. [35] The Sporting News noted in a 2000 article, "Durability always has been one of Payton's strong suits. He has missed only two games in 10 seasons and is generally counted on for nearly a full game's worth of nonstop motion, despite chronic back pain that requires extensive stretching and regular applications of heating packs." [25]

Coaching career

Payton was the head coach at Lincoln University in Oakland for three seasons before becoming the head coach of the nearby College of Alameda men's team in 2024. [36]

Off the court

Payton instructing youth from the Nellis Air Force Base community during NBA Cares Hoops for Troops event, 2012 Gary Payton NBA Cares Hoops for Troops event, 2012 (cropped).JPG
Payton instructing youth from the Nellis Air Force Base community during NBA Cares Hoops for Troops event, 2012

Personal life

Payton is the son of Al and Annie Payton. He married Monique James on July 26, 1997. They divorced in 2012. They lived in Oakland and Las Vegas and have three children: Gary II, Julian, and Raquel. [37] Gary II has played for the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards, Portland Trail Blazers, and the Golden State Warriors, where he won the NBA Championship. Payton also has another son named Gary Payton Jr. with a different mother. [38] His brother, Brandon, was also a professional basketball player during the 2000s. [39]

Payton is cross-dominant: he was a natural left-handed player who shot with his right hand. [40]

Post-NBA career

During the 2008–09 season, Payton served as a studio analyst for NBA TV and as an occasional substitute analyst on The NBA on TNT . He was replaced with Kevin McHale for the 2009–10 season. In 2013, Payton was named an analyst for Fox Sports 1's Fox Sports Live. [41] For the 2016 NFL season, Payton provided weekly picks for Sports Betting Dime. [42]

Movie and TV appearances

Payton has appeared in Eddie (1996), Like Mike (2002), The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019), and also performed a speaking role in the 1999 comedy film The Breaks. He also appeared on The Jamie Foxx Show .

Payton appeared on Onion SportsDome . [43]

Charity and community involvement

Payton has made numerous well-regarded contributions of both time and money to the community. [44] He set up The Gary Payton Foundation [45] in 1996 to provide safe places for recreational activity, and to help underprivileged youth in his hometown of Oakland stay in school. He hosts an annual charity basketball game as part of his foundation. Payton also gave back to the East Oakland Youth Development Center (EOYDC), a youth center that he attended in Oakland when he was growing up. In 2001, Payton donated $100,000 to renovate EOYDC's gym – his first big grant in his hometown of Oakland. [46] Payton and his wife, Monique, have been active in fundraising endeavors for HIV awareness, and Payton has lent many hours and provided tremendous financial support to the Boys & Girls Club of America and the Make-a-Wish Foundation. [37] Payton has also donated Miami Heat tickets to underprivileged children. For the Christmas of 2003 he took 10 families from the Ronald McDonald House in Los Angeles and let each of the over 40 children have a $100 shopping spree at FAO Schwarz. For Christmas, 2005, he gave 60 children $100 Toys-R-Us shopping sprees as part of the Voices For Children program. In 1999, he wrote an autobiographical children's book entitled Confidence Counts as part of the "Positively for Kids" series, illustrating the importance of confidence through events in his own life. In July 1999, Payton was named to The Sporting News' "Good Guys in Sports" list. [37] Payton hosted a radio show in early 1998 on Seattle's KUBE 93.3 station. He played hip-hop including The Roots, Raekwon, Outkast, and Cam'ron. He did it for charity during the NBA lockout. [47] During the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft for the Seattle Kraken, he made an appearance alongside former teammate Shawn Kemp. [48]

Support of Seattle basketball

Since the Sonics' move to Oklahoma City, Payton has openly expressed his desire not to have his retired jersey number in Oklahoma City as part of that team's history. He wishes instead for it to remain in Seattle, where he enjoyed the majority of his career's success and popularity. This seems likely as the SuperSonics' team name, colors, uniforms and trophies are remaining in Seattle for a possible future team to adopt upon arrival. Despite no official acknowledgement from the Thunder, they have not issued the number 20 to any player since their relocation.

Payton is featured in the documentary Sonicsgate , which covers the team's relocation from Seattle to Oklahoma City. When Sonicsgate won a Webby Award for Best Sports Film, Payton gave the acceptance speech, which consisted solely of the five words "Bring back our Seattle SuperSonics." [49]

Payton is currently working on bringing the NBA back to Seattle, aligning himself with the Oak View Group. [50]

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage 3P%  3-point field goal percentage FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high
 † Won an NBA championship  * Led the league

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
1990–91 Seattle 82*8227.4.450.077.7113.06.42.0.27.2
1991–92 Seattle 817931.5.451.130.6693.66.21.8.39.4
1992–93 Seattle 828231.1.494.206.7703.44.92.2.313.5
1993–94 Seattle 82*8235.1.504.278.5953.36.02.3.216.5
1994–95 Seattle 82*82*36.8.509.302.7163.47.12.5.220.6
1995–96 Seattle 818139.0.484.328.7484.27.52.9*.219.3
1996–97 Seattle 8282*39.2.476.313.7154.67.12.4.221.8
1997–98 Seattle 82*82*38.4.453.338.7444.68.32.3.219.2
1998–99 Seattle 50*50*40.2.434.295.7214.98.72.2.221.7
1999–00 Seattle 8282*41.8.448.340.7356.58.91.9.224.2
2000–01 Seattle 797941.1.456.375.7664.68.11.6.323.1
2001–02 Seattle 828240.3.467.314.7974.89.01.6.322.1
2002–03 Seattle 525240.8.448.298.6924.88.81.8.220.8
2002–03 Milwaukee 282838.8.466.294.7463.17.41.4.319.6
2003–04 L.A. Lakers 828234.5.471.333.7144.25.51.2.214.6
2004–05 Boston 777733.0.468.326.7613.16.11.1.211.3
2005–06† Miami 812528.5.420.287.7942.93.2.9.17.7
2006–07 Miami 682822.1.393.260.6671.93.0.6.05.3
Career1,3351,23335.3.466.317.7293.96.71.8.216.3
All-Star9220.8.436.2731.0003.38.12.1.09.4

Playoffs

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
1991 Seattle 5527.0.407.0001.0002.66.41.6.24.8
1992 Seattle 8827.6.466.000.5832.64.81.0.37.6
1993 Seattle 191931.8.443.167.6763.33.71.8.212.3
1994 Seattle 5536.2.493.333.4213.45.61.6.415.8
1995 Seattle 4443.0.478.200.4172.55.31.3.017.8
1996 Seattle 212143.4.485.410.6335.16.81.8.320.7
1997 Seattle 121245.5.412.333.8205.48.72.2.323.8
1998 Seattle 101042.8.475.380.9403.47.01.8.124.0
2000 Seattle 5544.2.442.391.7697.67.41.8.225.8
2002 Seattle 5541.4.425.267.5868.65.8.6.422.2
2003 Milwaukee 6641.8.429.067.7003.08.71.3.218.5
2004 L.A. Lakers 222235.1.366.250.7503.35.31.0.27.8
2005 Boston 7734.1.446.071.8334.14.6.9.110.3
2006† Miami 23024.3.422.293.7201.71.61.0.15.8
2007 Miami 2016.0.000.000–2.01.5.0.0.0
Career15412935.6.441.315.7063.75.31.4.214.0

Awards/accomplishments

NBA highlights

Other

See also

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The 1990–91 NBA season was the 23rd season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association. Head coach Bernie Bickerstaff was replaced by his former assistant K. C. Jones, and went on to occupy the desk of vice-president of Basketball Operations for Seattle, resigning months later to accept a job as General Manager of the Denver Nuggets. The Draft Lottery gave the SuperSonics the No. 2 pick, which was used to select future All-Star point guard Gary Payton out of Oregon State in the 1990 NBA draft.

The 1995–96 NBA season was the 28th season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Sonics acquired shooting guards Hersey Hawkins and David Wingate from the Charlotte Hornets, and re-acquired Frank Brickowski from the Sacramento Kings. The team returned to what had now become the KeyArena at Seattle Center after spending the previous season in the Tacoma Dome, while the KeyArena was being renovated.

The 1993–94 NBA season was the 26th season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Sonics acquired All-Star forward Detlef Schrempf from the Indiana Pacers, and acquired Kendall Gill from the Charlotte Hornets. In their third season with George Karl as head coach, the Sonics got off to a fast start winning their first ten games on their way to a 26–3 start, and later holding a league best 35–10 record at the All-Star break. The team won 17 of their final 19 games finishing the season with a franchise best 63–19 record, and made the Playoffs as the #1 seed in the Western Conference for the first time since the 1978–79 season, where the SuperSonics won their first NBA Championship.

The 2000–01 NBA season was the 34th season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association. The SuperSonics received the seventeenth overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft, and selected Desmond Mason out of Oklahoma State University. With the hopes of improving the team in the middle, the Sonics acquired All-Star center Patrick Ewing from the New York Knicks in a four-team trade, and signed free agent Pervis Ellison.

The 1994–95 Seattle SuperSonics season was the 27th season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association. The SuperSonics acquired the eleventh overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft from the Charlotte Hornets, and selected Carlos Rogers out of Tennessee State University, but then traded him to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Šarūnas Marčiulionis and Byron Houston, and signed free agent Bill Cartwright during the off-season; Cartwright won three championships with the Chicago Bulls in the early 1990s. For the duration of the season, the Sonics switched venues and played their home games at the Tacoma Dome while their original stadium, the Seattle Center Coliseum, was being rebuilt to keep pace with NBA standards.

The 1996–97 NBA season was the 29th season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association. The SuperSonics entered the season as runners-up in the 1996 NBA Finals, having lost to the Chicago Bulls in six games. During the off-season, the team signed free agents Jim McIlvaine, Craig Ehlo, and Larry Stewart, and then later on signed former All-Star forward Terry Cummings in January. Coming off their trip to the NBA Finals, the Sonics remained as one of the elite teams in the Western Conference posting an 11-game winning streak after losing two of their first three games. They later on posted a nine-game winning streak in January, then won seven straight games in February, and held a 32–15 record at the All-Star break. The Sonics won their third Division title in four years with a 57–25 record, and entered the playoffs as the #2 seed in the Western Conference. The SuperSonics had the sixth best team defensive rating in the NBA.

The 1997–98 NBA season was the 30th season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association. In the off-season, the Sonics acquired All-Star forward Vin Baker from the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team trade. The team also re-acquired former Sonics star and sharp shooter Dale Ellis from the Denver Nuggets, and signed free agents Jerome Kersey, and Greg Anthony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rashard Lewis</span> American basketball player (born 1979)

Rashard Quovon Lewis is an American former professional basketball player. Lewis entered the NBA directly from Alief Elsik High School. He rose to prominence in the NBA as a scorer with the Seattle SuperSonics, and was later a member of the Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards and Miami Heat. He garnered two NBA All-Star selections, one with Seattle and another with Orlando.

The 1999–2000 NBA season was the 33nd season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association. The SuperSonics had the thirteenth overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft, and selected Corey Maggette out of Duke University, but soon traded him to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Horace Grant. The team also acquired Brent Barry from the Chicago Bulls, and signed free agents Vernon Maxwell, second-year forward Ruben Patterson and three-point specialist Chuck Person. Two years removed from the George Karl-era, the Sonics held a 31–20 record at the All-Star break, and managed to make the playoffs after a one-year absence, finishing fourth in the Pacific Division with a 45–37 record. They took the 2nd-seeded Utah Jazz to a fifth and decisive game in the Western Conference First Round before being eliminated on Utah's home floor.

The 2001–02 NBA season was the 35th season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Sonics signed free agents Calvin Booth, and Jerome James. Heading into Nate McMillan's first full season as head coach, the Sonics struggled losing five of their first seven games, and held a 9–14 start to the season. However, they won 14 of their next 20 games and played above .500 for the remainder of the season, holding a 25–23 record at the All-Star break, but lost six of their final eight games, finishing fourth in the Pacific Division with a 45–37 record, which was only a one-game improvement over the previous season where they missed the playoffs.

The 2002–03 NBA season was the SuperSonics' 36th season in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Sonics acquired Kenny Anderson and Vitaly Potapenko from the Boston Celtics. The Sonics got off to a solid start winning eight of their first ten games, but then lost six of their next seven games, then posted six-game losing streaks in January and February, holding a 21–27 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, before the trading deadline, the team traded All-Star point guard Gary Payton and Desmond Mason to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for All-Star shooting guard Ray Allen. More changes continued as Anderson was traded to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for Elden Campbell. Payton also represented the Western Conference for the final time in the 2003 NBA All-Star Game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Payton II</span> American basketball player (born 1992)

Gary Dwayne Payton II is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a junior and senior playing college basketball for the Oregon State Beavers, Payton was named first-team All-Pac-12 as well as Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. He won his first NBA championship with the Warriors in 2022.

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  30. ↑ Sports Illustrated for Kids, December 1996 issue featuring Larry Johnson on the cover
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