Part 8 of ESPN’s “The Last Dance” gave an inside look into the 1996 NBA Finals between the Seattle Supersonics and the Chicago Bulls, revealing how little Michael Jordan thought of Gary Payton.
After losing the first three games of the series then-head coach George Karl finally assigned Payton, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, to guard Jordan. Seattle took Games 4 and 5 after the defensive switch, before the Bulls secured their fourth straight title.
But while reminiscing on that series in a reflective interview, Payton insinuated that he was able to keep up with the legendary Jordan and wished that it didn’t take going down 3-0 in the Finals to finally get to guard him with hard-nosed defense. “It took a toll on Mike,” Payton claimed.
Michael Jordan and Gary Payton during Game 4 of the 1996 NBA Finals.APProducers provided Jordan with a replay of Payton’s interview, to which the 57-year-old let out a series of belly laughs and astonished facial expressions.
“The Glove. I had no problem with The Glove,” Jordan said after he collected himself. “I had no problem with Gary Payton. I had a lot of other things on my mind.”
Payton, who was a nine-time first team All-Defensive player, may have the statistics to back up his claims. Through the first three games without Payton guarding him, MJ averaged 31 points, 46% from the field and 50% from 3-point range. Once Payton was his primary defender, Jordan dipped to 23.7 points per game, 36.7% from the field and just 11.1% from behind the arc.
However, Jordan’s notion of having “other things” on his mind also rings true. Father’s Day landed on Game 6, just three years removed from the tragic murder of his dad James.
