Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1996
Gary Payton is one of the most decorated basketball players in Oregon State history. Sports Illustrated, the U. S. Army Reserve, and the Pac-10 named Payton Player of the Year in 1990. He was a consensus All-American in 1990; three-time All-Pac-10 selection, and tabbed the conference's 1987 Freshman of the Year.
He also was named to the Pac-10's All-Decade Team.
At the time of his enshrinement in 1996, he held the school record for points, field goals, three- point field goals, assists, and steals. He finished his OSU career by scoring 30 or more points in 19 games, including a 58-point outburst against USC as a senior. During the Payton era, the Beavers made three NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT. His number "20" jersey was retired during the 1996-97 season.
His final statistics include 2,172 points, 938 assists, 321 steals, 178 three-point field goals, and 480 rebounds.
At the conclusion of his college career, he was the second pick in the NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. He also played with the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and Miami Heat. Payton won an NBA championship with the Heat in 2006.
As of 1996, he had made three NBA All-Star Game appearances. He also led the Sonics to the 1996 NBA Finals. He earned a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games while playing for Dream Team III.
He is the only NBA point guard to be named the league's Defensive Player of the Year as of 2020. 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 also a nine-time NBA All-Star and a nine-time All-NBA Team member.
He was nicknamed "The Glove" for his defensive abilities. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on September 8, 2013.
He was inducted into the inaugural Pac-12 Hall of Honor in 2002.
