Milwaukee Bucks: The franchise’s forgotten Hall of Famers

Gary Payton

Gary Payton’s infamously short spell with the Bucks will likely be the source of contentious and heated discussions for years to come, but in truth it’s essentially just a blip on the radar of his illustrious career from the vantage point of anyone outside of Milwaukee.

Payton left Oregon State as the Pac-10 Player of the Year and a consensus All-American, and was selected with the second overall pick of the 1990 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics.

Payton went on to put together a legendary career with the SuperSonics as his intelligence allowed him to control and dictate the pace and flow of a game, and he channeled his intensity into being one of the greatest defenders the NBA has ever seen.

Payton made nine All-Star appearances during his time with the SuperSonics, but his most notable achievements arguably came through on the defensive side of the floor as he was named to the All-Defensive First Team nine times and picked up the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1996.

With Payton advancing in years and his career likely set for a quick decline, the SuperSonics were likely ecstatic to swap their legendary point guard for Ray Allen in the trade that sent the California native to Milwaukee.

Payton played just 34 games with the Bucks prior to leaving for the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency, and from there he would go on to play for the Boston Celtics, and Miami Heat, who he won a championship with in 2006.

As we continue our Milwaukee Bucks History Month, we’ll have more Hall of Fame coverage throughout the week and plenty of further reflection on the team’s past throughout September. To read all of it, click here.