Gary Payton explains why he never feared the Michael Jordan aura: "He puts his pants on just like us"
Ah, the '90s. It was an era when the NBA was shattering viewership records and birthing rivalries so intense they are still being discussed today.
A primary catalyst for the league's massive, across-the-board expansion during that decade was undeniably the Michael Jordan -led Chicago Bulls . For old-school fans, their 1996 Finals clash with the Seattle SuperSonics remains particularly memorable.
Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp were supposed to be the dynamic duo that finally got Seattle over the hump. But, much like the rest of the league, they ultimately couldn't topple the Bulls. Still, looking back today, The Glove reflects on the sheer intensity of those matchups, admitting he was never intimidated by Black Jesus's aura.
"Everyone was so scared of him. He puts his pants on just like us," Payton explained . "You know what I'm saying? He was a great basketball player, but I was a great one too. And at that time in '96, I was the Defensive Player of the Year and he was the offensive player of the year, so let's go get it. My daddy raised me in a way where you don't back down from nobody."
Payton held Jordan to his lowest-scoring NBA Finals average
The year was 1996, marking the Windy City squad's first Finals appearance since MJ's return from retirement. With three rings already on his fingers, many wondered if he still had anything left in the tank to face a trophy-hungry SuperSonics team that had spent years gearing up for this exact moment.
Payton, meanwhile, was the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Widely regarded alongside Jordan as one of the greatest defensive guards of all time, if anyone possessed the tools to at least slow His Airness down, since stopping him completely was mission impossible, it was undeniably the 6-foot-4 guard.
As history well documents, the series ended in a 4-2 victory for the Bulls. In the Finals," His Airness averaged 27.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals. However, he shot just 41.5 percent from the field, 31.6 percent from deep, and 83.6 percent from the charity stripe, posting a true shooting percentage of 53.8 percent and 3.0 turnovers per contest.
Those numbers are still elite for the NBA Finals and more than justified his Finals MVP honors. Yet, when looking across all six of Michael's championship runs, it marks the only time in his career he was held under 30 points per game, resulting in his lowest Finals scoring average and his worst shooting percentage from the floor on that stage.
Payton was all over Jordan, refusing to give him an inch to breathe. While there's zero shame in seeing your numbers dip against the reigning DPOY, Payton proved he truly had the tools to go toe-to-toe with the greatest offensive machine the league had ever seen.
The Oakland native gave it his all, averaging 18.0 points, 7.0 assists, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals on 44.4 percent shooting with only 2.5 turnovers per game. But even that maximum effort wasn't enough to derail Phil Jackson's juggernaut.
However, the six-time champion never feared anyone on the basketball court, a fact perhaps best confirmed by his own admission that he never fazed in matchups against the legendary trash-talker .
"Gary Payton and I had an interesting competition," Jordan said , referring to their high-stakes matchups. "He is supposed to be 'The Glove.' The media made it a little bit of a splash, and then the next thing you know, we are playing against him in '95-'96 for the playoffs, and the whole thing was Jordan against The Glove."
"He was good at defending me to get the ball," Jordan added. "But once I got the ball, I felt like I always had the advantage. So, it wasn't really a problem to me."
MJ and GP got the best of each other every time they met
One thing is glaringly obvious in both of their statements. Even after all these years, neither is willing to concede an inch to the other. And that unwavering pride is exactly the icing on the cake that makes a rivalry like theirs truly legendary.
"Never backing down" was a shared mentality that ultimately propelled both men to the absolute pinnacle of the league. And at the end of the day, Payton can always take credit for one undeniable fact – nobody ever guarded Jordan in a Finals series quite as well as he did.
Of course, MJ remains completely unfazed by that footnote. After all, when the dust settled, he was the one left holding the Larry O'Brien trophy, and in the end, that is all that really matters.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
