Over the history of the NBA, many fantastic players have graced the basketball court with their presence. While some excelled at scoring, others did so at defending. Basketball Hall of Famer Gary Payton was one player whose defending skills for his position are still applauded by fans.
So much so that Gary Payton earned the nickname “The Glove” for his excellent defensive prowess over the course of his NBA career. Keeping that in mind, Payton has a clear understanding of which NBA players are the toughest to guard.
In a recent exclusive interview with TMZ Sports, Payton was asked about the tougher player to guard between Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
Gary Payton On The Tougher Player To Guard Between Michael Jordan And LeBron James
While the original question for Payton was to pick between Michael Jordan and LeBron James, the Glove gave the name of John Stockton as the toughest player that he had to guard.
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“I didn’t play against LeBron a lot. I played against Michael a lot. Michael could get anywhere he wanted to do. I can say this and I’m always gonna say this, I think LeBron was a better all-around player because he can pass the ball and rebound. I think Michael was a better killer. He’ll go after you. He’ll take a shot whenever he needed to and make it and do it. He was more of a killer. But LeBron is turning into that.”
Payton continued, “I think the hardest person I’ve ever had to guard was John Stockton because of the way he would do 94 feet and go everywhere. So that’s my opinion.”
This is not the first time Gary Payton has picked John Stockton as the toughest player that he’s ever had to guard. In fact, in an old interview, Payton picked Stockton over MJ as the tougher player to guard.
So one thing is certain: Payton is definitely consistent with his choice. Regardless of the choices being provided to him, he will forever think of John Stockton as the toughest player to guard throughout his career.
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