What NBA team did Gary Payton play on in 2006? Taking a closer look at his stats from that season

Gary Payton is a Hall of Fame point guard that is most known for his time with the Seattle Supersonics. However, the nine-time All-Star bounced around the NBA in the twilight of his career before retiring in 2007.

Gary Payton was drafted second overall by the Sonics in 1990, and spent 13 seasons with the franchise. Seattle ended up trading him to the Milwaukee Bucks, where he spent half a season.

After brief stints with the LA Lakers and Boston Celtics, Payton signed with the Miami Heat in 2006. Despite being 37-years-old by that point, the former Defensive Player of the Year still had something to provide an NBA team.

Led by a young Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O'Neal, Payton got to be part of a contender in 2006. Miami made a deep playoff run and eventually wound up in the NBA Finals. Pitted against Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks, the Heat managed to secure a championship that season.

Payton would go on to play one more year for the Heat before retiring. 2006 would end up being the only championship he won in his career.

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How did Gary Payton perform in 2006 for the Miami Heat?

Even though he was at the end of his career, Gary Payton was a solid contributor for the Miami Heat in 2006. He was a constant fixture in the lineup, appearing in 81 out of 82 regular season games. In that span, he averaged 7.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 0.9 steals.

When the 2006 playoffs rolled around, Payton still played good minutes in a backup role. His veteran experience proved to be valuable for Miami as they pursued a championship.

Payton's best round of that playoff run came in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the then New Jersey Nets. In five games, he averaged 7.2 points and 1.0 steals. What stood out most is that he shot 48.3% from the field and 41.2% from three in that series.

The veteran guard got playing time in the 2006 finals, but struggled greatly against the Dallas Mavericks. Across six games, he averaged just 2.7 points and shot 7-for-19 from the field. However, Payton still managed to bring it on the defensive end. He once again averaged a steal a game in the finals.

Payton's best individual performance of the 2006 season came in a regular season matchup against the Washington Wizards. He erupted for 21 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals while playing 46 minutes.