Gary Payton Sr. had an illustrious career that spanned 17 seasons from 1991 to 2007. "The Glove" was known for his lockdown perimeter defense and endearing toughness, which allowed him to win a Defensive Player of the Year award as well as nine All-Defensive Team selections despite standing just six-foot-four.
Payton was also a nine-time All-Star and All-NBA member during his career, and was an underrated 20-plus point per game scorer in his prime years with the Seattle Supersonics. He had fierce battles with a number of legends, including Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Penny Hardaway, Clyde Drexler, and John Stockton.
Although Payton didn't crack through for an NBA title until he was 37 years old with the 2006 Miami Heat, he entered the Hall of Fame as a winner. Few players brought more fear to opposing ball-handlers than he did, so it's worthwhile to hear who he thinks were the hardest players to guard during his playing days.
While preparing for his upcoming induction into the Hall of Fame in 2018, Payton spoke with Marc Spears about his career. Spears pressed him on who he "feared" most, and GP gave a surprising answer. According to him, there was only one player who truly frustrated him, and it might not be who you think.
Gary Payton Snubbed Michael Jordan as Toughest Opponent
Gary Payton
As mentioned above, the 1990s were rich with legendary players who could've given the 1995-96 DPOY issues. It's arguably the most talented decade of basketball we've seen, including the insanely skilled and athletic players we have now.
Michael Jordan, Penny Hardaway, Clyde Drexler, Reggie Miller, and many others could be possible candidates for toughest guard in the 1990s. However, Payton chose someone that, while a special player and no-doubt Hall of Famer, doesn't come to mind for being "hard to guard".
According to Payton, handling Jordan was "a little easier" than matching up with John Stockton. Stockton was Utah's starting point guard for 19 seasons spanning 1985 to 2003, and is considered one of the best ever at the position. The two players matched up in four different playoff series, with each triumphing twice.
Payton gives Stockton his flowers, telling Spears that his intelligence, fundamentals, and stone-cold demeanor made him more frustrating to guard than the GOAT was. Despite Jordan's obvious talent and athletic advantage, Stockton was impossible to rattle, which was a huge part of Payton's game.
GP respected him so much that he named Stockton one of the presenters at his Hall of Fame ceremony.
"John Stockton is because I liked him when I was playing basketball. Everyone said he was dirty. He wasn't as athletic as us. But he was smarter than us. We knew what he was going to do. We knew he was going to set [tough] picks. We had all the videos on Utah. We were so dumb.
We would get caught up with the picks and get mad at him. He would shoot eight times and make nine. Shoot eight free throws and make seven. He'd have 15 assists and four steals. A complete game. That's just the way he was and I idolized him. I just imitated him while going about my business, talking trash and getting it done. After the game you would look at my stats and it would be right there."
Stockton also impressed (or frustrated) Payton by his lack of trash talk. Whenever Gary tried to throw him off his game, Stockton would just look at him and continue playing, which can be a lesson for any basketball player facing an extremely tough matchup.
"That is the reason I really respected him because you never could get in his head. He's the hardest person I ever had to guard. I tried to talk to him, try to do something and he'd just look at me, set a pick and cause me [to get mad and] get a tech. And then all of the sudden it was over. There was much respect to him doing that to me. It taught me a lot."
John Stockton Had an Underrated Career
John Stockton
John Stockton is typically known for three things: he is the all-time leader in total steals, total assists, and is second in assists per game. He averaged 13.1 points and 10.5 assists for his career. However, those records aren't what's impressive about Stockton, as Payton alluded to in his comments.
Stockton was just a winner. He made the postseason in every single one of his 19 seasons, won 17 playoff series, and appeared in two NBA Finals. His smarts, poise, and leadership are what drove those Utah Jazz teams to immense success, and Payton respects him more than any other player for it.