Gary Payton (basketball)
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Before the 2003-2004 season started, he decided he wanted to play for the Los Angeles Lakers. His decision was based on the fact that the Lakers would be the team with whom he would have the best chance of winning a championship that had eluded him for so long. He got very close, but the Lakers lost to the Detroit Pistons in the 5th game of the best-out-of-7 championship series. After his poor showing in the 2004 playoffs, many sports analysts voiced suspicions that he would exercise his contract option to stay with the Lakers and maintain his current salary. The Lakers traded both 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 and threatened to retire rather than play for the Celtics, he ultimately did report and started the 2004-2005 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 waived Payton immediately following the trade, only to have him return a week later to Boston as a free agent.
Career highlights
- 2 Olympic Gold Medals with USA: 1996 Olympic Games (Atlanta) and 2000 Olympic Games (Sydney).
-Widely considered to be the greatest perimeter defender in NBA history
-Only player in NBA history to accumulate 20,000 points, 2,000 steals, and 8,000 assists in career
-2-time All-NBA selection ('98,'00)
-9-time NBA All-Star Selection ('94-'98, '00-'03)
-1995-96 NBA Defensive Player of the Year
-Record 9 All-Defensive First Team selection, all consecutively ('94-'02)
External link
- Gary Payton Profile (http://www.nba.com/playerfile/gary_payton)
| 2000 Olympic Champions Men's Basketball |
| Shareef Abdur-Rahim | Ray Allen | Vin Baker | Vince Carter | Kevin Garnett | Tim Hardaway | Allan Houston | Jason Kidd | Antonio McDyess | Alonzo Mourning | Gary Payton | Steve Smith |
| Coach Rudy Tomjanovich |
| 1996 Olympic Champions Men's Basketball |
| Charles Barkley | Anfernee Hardaway | Grant Hill | Karl Malone | Reggie Miller | Hakeem Olajuwon | Shaquille O'Neal | Gary Payton | Scottie Pippen | Mitch Richmond | David Robinson | John Stockton |
| Coach Lenny Wilkens |