Gary Payton was widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the NBA during his tenure. Nicknamed “The Glove,” Payton was blessed with extremely quick hands and an incredible ability to read plays. However, even his defensive prowess couldn’t match up to Michael Jordan’s offensive talent. In a Player’s Tribune tribute to Jordan, Payton revealed how his ‘”Welcome to the NBA” moment came courtesy of His Airness.
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In 2017, Payton wrote a tribute for Jordan, and in it, he recalled an incident that occurred during his rookie season in the NBA. He recalled a preseason game the Sonics played against the Bulls in which Jordan sat out the majority of the game.
“MJ was on the bench most of the game — I didn’t understand that it was just preseason and MJ doesn’t play hard like that in a preseason game.”
Payton was tasked with guarding BJ Armstrong and had a stellar game, scoring 19 points. Of course, imbued with newfound confidence and an ability to trash talk, he said a few words to both Armstrong and Jordan.
“So B.J. Armstrong had me. I gave him 19 points. And I’m a rookie, so, of course, I’m talking crazy. I’m talking s*** to BJ. I’m running by the bench, saying s*** to MJ. I’m staring guys down. I feel great.”
He felt on top of the world for a few weeks—and then the Sonics hosted the Bulls in the regular season. Payton wasn’t stressed in the least. After all, he’d just given them 19 in the preseason. He had nothing to worry about. Or so he thought.
Michael Jordan gave Gary Payton a harsh reality check
Jordan had suited up for the game. Payton recalled the vet didn’t shake his hand pregame. He also remembered him telling Armstrong, “Leave the f***ing rookie to me.” He knew he was in for a tough game, but his confidence in his abilities didn’t waver. Till Jordan started getting into his routine. Payton wrote,
“The game gets going. I’m checking Michael, and I see Phil Jackson start calling plays—four, five, six times in a row, he’s calling plays for Michael. And Michael is scoring four, five, six times in a row. Michael is on a different level than I knew there was.”
As a rookie, Payton had no answer to Jordan’s barrage and soon found himself in foul trouble. He spent the rest of the game on the bench, registering a grand total of 0 points. Jordan, on the other hand, had 33.
As the game slowly came to an end, Jordan’s competitive spirit was on full display. He walked over to the Sonics’ bench, and told Payton,
“That s**t you talking in preseason? This is the real s**t right here. Welcome to the NBA, little fella.”
Lesson learned. Gary Payton never underestimated Jordan after that, and his admiration for the Bulls guard only grew.
