"I don't care about Black Jesus!"- Gary Payton's hilarious response to going head-to-head against Michael Jordan
Gary Payton of the Seattle Supersonics (now known as the Oklahoma City Thunder) took a trip down memory lane recently and spoke about his battle with Michael Jordan in the 1996 NBA Finals series.
The Sonics point guard led his team to a record finish of 64-18 in the 1995-96 regular season. They finished 1st in the Pacific Division and the Western Conference with a 78.0 win-loss percentage.
Speaking on DJ Vlad's TV show, Payton revealed an interaction he had with Michael Jordan during the 96' Finals. Jordan had referred to himself as 'Black Jesus.' The 1996 Defensive Player of the Year says those matchups with Jordan brought the best out of him.
"I don't care about black Jesus, I don't care about none of that, You ain't gonna talk crazy or nothing. So, I took it as a challenge to always go against him, he brought everything out of me and they were always considering him the best offensive player and me the best defensive player at our positions. I didn't care about that, I'm not backing down. You play basketball just like I play basketball. I'm talented just like you talented. I don't bow down to nobody."
Heading into that season, Supersonics head coach George Karl was in his fourth year with the team, having led them to the playoffs in all of his previous seasons but never to the finals. They defeated the Sacramento Kings in the first-round of the playoffs and went on to sweep the Houston Rockets in the semifinals.
They faced the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference finals and came out on top following a heated seven-game series. They had a good run but ultimately lost the title to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
Gary Payton and the Seattle SuperSonics lost the 1996 NBA championship title to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls
With a franchise record of 64-18, the Seattle SuperSonics were untouchable, having had a season they could only dream of. They were crowned Western Conference champions and were set to take on the Chicago Bulls in what turned out to be a fierce six-game battle.
Michael Jordan, 1996 NBA Finals:
First 3 games: 31.0 PPG, 5.0 APG, 46.0 FG %, 50.0 3-PT %
Last 3 games: 23.7 PPG, 3.3 APG, 36.7 FG %, 11.1 3-PT %
"Mike, nobody is taking away any of your rings. Gary Payton put the clamps on you, Mike. We saw the games." — @getnickwright https://t.co/4CkD9p0FQv
The Chicago Bulls won the first three games of the series, with Jordan averaging 31 points per game. They were looking to finish off the SuperSonics with a clean sweep but Hall of Famer Gary Payton took it upon himself to lock up Jordan.
Payton went on to limit the Bulls legend to only 23 points in Game 4 - his lowest scoring game in an NBA Finals game. The Supersonics were boosted by that performance by Payton, and won the fifth game of the series. However, Chicago closed out the series in the sixth and game of the series, ultimately winning the first of three consecutive titles.