Gary Payton is one of the greatest backcourt defenders in NBA history.
During his time with the Seattle SuperSonics he got extremely familiar with guard Michael Jordan.
Later on in his career, during his stint with the Miami Heat, he got to face off against LeBron James.
Recently Payton did an interview where he broke down the toughest player he ever had to defend – and as it turns out it was neither Jordan or James.
“I didn’t play against LeBron a lot,” Payton said.
“I played against Michael a lot. Michael could get anywhere he wanted to do. I can say this and I’m always gonna say this, I think LeBron was a better all-around player because he can pass the ball and rebound.
“I think Michael was a better killer. He’ll go after you. He’ll take a shot whenever he needed to and make it and do it. He was more of a killer…I think the hardest person I’ve ever had to guard was John Stockton because of the way he would do 94 feet and go everywhere. So that’s my opinion.”
Payton has never been one to bite his tongue. Whether he is revealing the real reason for his ‘The Glove’ nickname, breaking down Kobe Bryant’s selfishness or offering his true opinion on Jordan – he always keeps it real.
This was just the latest example of that.
Sam Ponder’s outfit caused quite the stir. https://t.co/uoawbDG711
— Game 7 (@game7__) February 13, 2023
What fun NBA facts or opinions will Payton ultimately drop in whatever interview he opts to do next?
Time will tell.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
