Could Gary Payton have a similar impact as Wilt Chamberlain, as believed by a former All-NBA center?

Could Gary Payton have a similar impact as Wilt Chamberlain, as believed by a former All-NBA center?

Payton’s ability to impact both ends of the floor convinced people he could have a similar style to ‘Wilt The Stilt.’

Gary Payton might be most known to contemporary NBA fans as a tough perimeter defender who surprised everyone by taking home the DPOY award despite being a smaller point guard. But his influence and impact went much beyond that impression. Vin Baker, a former All-NBA center, made a prediction that the nine-time All-Star would be as dominant on both ends of the court as Wilt Chamberlain in the 1990s. This statement highlights how much of an impact he had.

Gary Payton, as told by Vin Baker Over the course of their five-year partnership with the Seattle Supersonics, Baker saw GP’s unwavering excellence. In four of those seasons, he finished in the Top 10 MVP candidates, and after averaging 22 points, 1.9 steals, and 8.6 assists per game, he was selected to be a member of the All-NBA Team each year. In addition, like Chamberlain, Payton gave his teammates confidence by showing them that he could accomplish almost anything on the court.

In a SLAM story, Baker stated, “Gary’s capable of doing anything on the floor when he puts his mind to it.” “I recall Wilt Chamberlain stating that Gary might be the same player this decade—leading the league in assists and rebounds, for example. Take the league by storm in steals, scoring, or assists.”

As the “Greatest Trash-Talker,” Baker considered GP. During their time together on Team USA in 2000, “Shake and Bake” had the honor of sharing the court with both Payton and Kevin Garnett during their professional careers.