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NBA: Ranking the Top 10 Point Guards of All-Time

By Tyler Dencker

Dec 26, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd coaches against the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 26, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd coaches against the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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9. Gary Payton

Mar 17, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Former NBA player Gary Payton watches his son participate during a practice day before the first round of the NCAA men
Mar 17, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Former NBA player Gary Payton watches his son participate during a practice day before the first round of the NCAA men /

Known for his ruthless defending, Gary Payton frustrated his opponents with his superior contributions on offense and defense.

From 1990-2007, it’s safe to say that no point guard ever wanted to go against Payton. Payton is the only point guard in NBA history to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, which he did in 1996 with the Seattle SuperSonics. On top of that, 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. He was the NBA steals leader in 1996 and averaged an impressive 1.8 steals per game throughout his career.

In addition to his work on the defensive side, Payton was certainly a tough player to guard offensively. He finished his career averaging 16.3 points and 6.7 assists per game. He was selected to nine All-Star Games, two All-NBA First Teams, and retired as the Seattle Supersonics all-time leading scorer. While Payton played his best years on the SuperSonics, he won his lone NBA title with the Miami Heat in 2006. Payton was a complete point guard who is still considered today as one of the best point guards to ever play.

Next: No. 8

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