#4 - Gary 'The Glove' Payton
When this list was being constructed, the first players to come to mind were big men. The big fellas blocking shots and securing possessions with defensive rebounds are the first natural thoughts when talking about defense. But if there was one player that revolutionized the way we think about the top defensive players, it was Gary Payton. In fact he was even nicknamed ‘The Glove’ due to his ability to cover and wrap up opposing point guards like a baseball in a glove. A lot of guards will anticipate poor passes and fill the passing lanes for steals. Gary not only did that with great success, but where he differed from many guards was in his ability as an on-the-ball defender. He literally could shut down players at either the 1 or 2 position on any given night. Gary is third all-time on the NBA’s steals list with 2,445 career steals. Payton shares the record with Michael Jordan as the player with the most selections to the NBA’s all-defensive first team, at 9. Probably the most telling factor however for his dominance as a defender, Gary Payton is the only point guard in NBA history that has ever received the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.
