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Time of India
4 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
NBA: Gary Payton makes bold claim about Michael Jordan; believes season's Finals could go the distance
Fformer Seattle Supersonics and LA Lakers star Gary Payton speaks at an event in Mumbai. Mumbai: Gary Payton can talk about defense all day, understandably so. So good were his defensive skills back in the day, they called him 'The Glove'. So much importance he attached to the defensive side of basketball, he drilled it into his son Gary Payton II. He still does. And it's why the Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, considered one of the best point guards of all time, believes the 2025 NBA Finals featuring Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers is set to be a 'great series'. 'I think this is going to be a great series. I like it because they both play defense. With both teams, you got five guys on the floor at all times who can go at each other,' Payton, a 2006 NBA champion with Miami Heat, told reporters here on Thursday. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! On his maiden visit to India, the former Seattle Supersonics and LA Lakers star, who is in town for the BudX NBA House this weekend, stressed that there was more to the two finalists than just their star point guards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma and Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton. 'Well, it's not just these two, they lead it. But you have to understand with these two teams, they have other basketball players who are very dominant. And right now it's a different type of style of basketball than I played,' Payton said, adding: 'When I played, I could put my hands on them, I could control them and things, but you can't do that now. But what I would do with either one of the guards, I would try to trap them and make other people win the basketball game. 'With the two superstars, especially MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, you have to get the ball out of his hands. Make other people beat you. Even with Haliburton, when he has a great game, the Indiana Pacers go.' Along their path to the Finals, the Pacers were never taken to a seventh game by any of their rivals. That could be about to change as they battle the Thunder for the famed Larry O'Brien Trophy. 'I really do think it can go to seven games. The first one who loses on their home court is probably going to be the loser,' Payton said. 'They're the best two teams right now in the NBA. Oklahoma has been the best team all year winning as many games they did, 60-plus. Let's see what Indiana got for them.' Asked how he viewed the way NBA basketball has evolved and the direction it was heading in, the 56-year-old made his preference clear. 'I would rather see a lot more defense. Right now, it's a lot of offense. 'I don't want to go to a game and see somebody score 130 points. For what? And somebody has 50 points, another player has 55, that's not a watch for me. That's crazy. I think I want to see somebody stop somebody. I want to see somebody take accountability of taking a person out of the game who's very valuable to their team. That's what I want to see, and that's what I dictate to my son all the time. That's why he's got the old school basketball game to him right now, because he guards everybody from one to five and I love that. ' For his gritty display during the second half of the 1996 NBA Finals where he was tasked with guarding Michael Jordan, Payton would go on to be regarded as one of the best defensive opponents of the legendary Chicago Bulls guard. Is that how he would like to be described to basketball fans who tuned in after he was gone? 'I don't care about being the best defender of Michael Jordan. That doesn't mean anything, I was the best defender of everybody,' he shot back. 'I guarded everybody. (Michael) wasn't just a focal point for me. Everybody in the NBA was a focal point for me. I would want to be remembered as the first two-way basketball player to play on both ends of the floor. I started that. 'I really didn't care about scoring, I cared about stopping the opponent, their best player. Because if I stop them that means I stop their basketball team, because they can't function without him. My legacy started because of defense. People say that. That's great, I love it. But really, my legacy started off with me being just a complete basketball player. Both ends of the floor, complete.'
Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Gary Payton calls out Luka Doncic's defense and challenges him to evolve with Los Angeles Lakers
NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton spoke honestly about Luka Doncic and his defense. Payton also pointed out at the BudX NBA House event in Mumbai that while Doncic is an excellent offensive player, you never really know about his defense which brings me, once again, back to Kyrie Irving. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Doncic, who was the center of shockwaves during the trade that sent him from his Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2025, needed this feedback. Luka Doncic's defensive mindset under scrutiny During the press conference, Payton stated, "I don't think Luka is a defensive player; he's a scorer. But now, if he wants to, yes. But does he want to do it? That's up to him, not up to us." He went on to discuss how crucial mindset is for playing defense, emphasizing that it takes commitment, quickness, and a readiness to make sacrifices. Payton's remarks bring attention to a wider issue regarding Doncic's defensive skills, which has been a hot topic among analysts and fans. Doncic's move to the Lakers was part of a three-team trade that included the Utah Jazz, making it the first instance in NBA history where two current All-NBA Team players were exchanged during the season. The team explained that they made the trade to address the issue of team defense when they parted with Doncic and took in Anthony Davis. People were very critical of the team's decision and it prompted many discussions about where the Mavericks were headed. Despite the mixed reactions, Doncic is really looking forward to joining the Lakers and playing alongside LeBron James. On a recent podcast, he shared that the experience is "incredible" and complimented James's dedication. Still, Doncic noted that he's having a tough time adjusting to life in Los Angeles, especially with the heavy traffic. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now As he gets ready for his first complete season with the Lakers, Doncic is dealing with the challenge of adapting to a new place and improving his defense. Doncic will play against his former team in Motley Crue's 'Welcome to the Jungle,' that was the sound a video game character made when it was hit and that got a lot of laughs and there will also be a lot of buzz heading into the preseason game next week on Oct. 15 in Las Vegas between the Lakers and Mavs. Doncic will have a chance to upgrade the defense of his game and address the criticisms leveled at him, including from Payton, in this game. Also Read: Gary Payton's statements are a wake-up call for Luka Doncic, stressing the need for a strong defensive attitude to achieve greatness in the NBA. As Doncic begins this new phase with the Los Angeles Lakers, his development into a more complete player will be essential. Everyone in the basketball world will be watching to see if Doncic can step up and establish his legacy among the elite.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Gary Payton Delivers Strong Statement on Luka Doncic's Defense
Gary Payton Delivers Strong Statement on Luka Doncic's Defense originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Luka Doncic is in the midst of what many believe will be a transformative offseason for the 26-year-old Slovenian guard. After a rough 2024-25 season where he got heartbreakingly traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers, Doncic has come under a lot of criticism in the wake of the Mavericks moving on from him. Advertisement Even though modern NBA guards are expected to be greater offensive contributors than defensive players, there is still tremendous value in being a two-way star. That's what former NBA Champion and one of the greatest defensive guards in NBA history, Gary Payton, believes is the next step for Luka Doncic. Amid his first-ever visit to India for the BudX NBA House event in Mumbai, the 1996 NBA Defensive Player of the Year shared his strong take on Doncic's defense at a press conference. Gary Payton addressing the media at the BudX NBA House Press Conference in Mumbai, provided by NBA India "You have to be dedicated to playing defense. Maybe it's not good for him (Luka); he's a scorer. If he puts his mind to it, I tell every kid that I do camps with, it's a mindset to play defense... You have to have great hands and feet to do that. You have to be able to move. It takes sacrifice to do that. That's just the way it goes," the former nine-time NBA All-Defensive First Team honoree said. Advertisement "I don't think Luka is a defensive player; he's a scorer. But now. If he wants to, yes. But does he want to do it? That's up to him, not up to us. He's an athlete. He's got great ability, but now does he want to go change it and prove people wrong that he can play defense? If that were me, I would change that. I'll go out there and try to defend somebody, get in shape, and do the things I gotta do." Payton, the 1996 NBA steals leader, is one of the greatest defenders in NBA history and excelled on that end as a guard. His well-rounded two-way game helped him take the Seattle SuperSonics to multiple NBA Finals in the '90s, but Doncic's offensive brilliance helped him make an NBA Finals appearance in 2024. With conditioning and defensive concerns plaguing Doncic's last few seasons in Dallas, many have wondered if the Mavericks were right in parting with him, especially with the defensive limitations many have claimed him to have. Advertisement If Doncic wants to be remembered as one of the greatest guards the game has ever seen, he will have to make sure he can start changing his defensive reputation starting next season. We know how potent he can be offensively, averaging 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists amid a down season in 2024-25. Related: Adam Silver's Revelation on Luka Doncic Trade Debunks Major Conspiracy Theory This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
