Today in Boston Celtics history: Gary Payton Sr. traded to Boston
Today in Boston Celtics history: Gary Payton Sr. traded to Boston
Justin Quinn, Celtics WireThu, August 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM UTC
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Today in Boston Celtics history, Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. was traded to the storied franchise. In exchange, the Los Angeles Lakers, Payton's team at that time, sent big man Chris Mihm, small forward Jumaine Jones, and point guard Chucky Atkins. Payton, often referred to as "The Glove" for a nickname, made clear his dissatisfaction with being traded to the Celtics.
His reluctance to join the team brought some amendments to the trade, as he initially refused to report for his physical with the Celtics. The physical was a condition of the original agreement with Boston, which also included sending guard Marcus Banks as part of the trade.
Boston also got out of having to send out a second-round draft pick as part of the renegotiated deal.
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The Oakland native ultimately gave it the old college try and made it to late February before he was dealt to the Atlanta Hawks as part of the package that brought back forward Antoine Walker to the team that drafted him.
Payton Sr. averaged 11.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Today in Boston Celtics history: Gary Payton Sr. traded to Boston
Source: “AOL Sports”
