Elfrid Payton Jr. (born February 22, 1994) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player for the

Fort Wayne Mad Ants The Fort Wayne Mad Ants are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and are affiliated with the Indiana Pacers. The team plays their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. The Mad ...

of the

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...

. He played college basketball at

University of Louisiana at Lafayette The University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette, University of Louisiana, ULL, or UL) is a public research university in Lafayette, Louisiana. It has the largest enrollment within the nine-campus University of Louisiana System and the s ...

, where in 2014 he won the

Lefty Driesell Award The Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's college basketball defender in NCAA Division I competition. The award was established in 2010 and is named for head coach Lefty Driesel ...

as the National College Defensive Player of the Year. Payton was drafted with the 10th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, but was then traded to the Orlando Magic.

College career

Payton was an unheralded recruit from

John Ehret High School John Ehret High School is a four-year public high school serving grades 9–12 located in unincorporated Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, near Marrero. The school, a part of the Jefferson Parish Public Schools, serves several communiti ...

Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Jefferson Parish (french: Paroisse de Jefferson; es, Parroquia de Jefferson) is a parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 440,781. Its parish seat is Gretna, its largest community is Metairie, and i ...

. He chose to attend Louisiana–Lafayette, and after a promising freshman season in 2011–12, Payton came into his own as a sophomore in 2012–13. He averaged 15.9 points, 5.6

rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

, 5.5 assists and 2.4 steals per game and was named first team All- Sun Belt Conference. After his breakout sophomore season, Payton was a late addition to Team USA's U19 World Championships Trials Roster to compete in the 2013 FIBA Under-19 World Championship. After making the team, Payton started in all nine games for Team USA, on a team loaded with talent including other players such as

Marcus Smart Marcus Osmond Smart (born March 6, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Smart was drafted with the ...

Aaron Gordon Aaron Addison Gordon (born September 16, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one year of college basketball for the University of Arizona before bein ...

Jahlil Okafor Jahlil Obika Okafor (pronounced ; born December 15, 1995) is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for the Capitanes de Ciudad de México of the NBA G League. He played his freshman season of college basketball for the 2014–15 ...

and Jarnell Stokes. The team ultimately defeated the Serbian team led by

Vasilije Micić Vasilije Micić ( sr-cyr, Василије Мицић, born 13 January 1994) is a Serbian professional basketball player for Anadolu Efes of the Turkish Basketball Super League and the EuroLeague. He also represents the Serbian national basket ...

and won the gold medal, going 9–0 in the tournament. As a junior in 2013–14, Payton emerged as one of the top defensive players in college basketball. He raised his averages to 19.2 points, 5.9 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game and led the Ragin' Cajuns to the 2014 NCAA Tournament. He was again named first team All-Sun Belt and was the conference Defensive Player of the Year. At the end of the season, he was named the National Defensive Player of the Year by winning the Lefty Driesell Award. In April 2014, Payton declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final year of college eligibility.

Professional career

Orlando Magic (2014–2018)

2014–15 season

On June 26, 2014, Payton was selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He was traded to the Orlando Magic on draft night for

Dario Šarić Dario Šarić (; born 8 April 1994) is a Croatian professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He also represents the senior ...

, a future first-round pick, and a future second-round pick. On July 2, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Magic. He made his NBA debut on October 29, 2014 in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. On January 16, 2015, Payton had a season-best game with 22 points and 12 assists in a loss to the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

. He was subsequently named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for January and was named a Rising Stars Challenge participant. On March 18, he recorded his first career

triple-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...

with 15 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks. With a second straight triple-double recorded by Payton on March 20, he became the first Magic player to post consecutive triple-doubles and the first NBA rookie to do it since

Antoine Walker Antoine Devon Walker (born August 12, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. He was drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft out of the University of Kentucky and played in the NBA from 1996 to 2008. Walker ...

, with the Boston Celtics in 1997. Payton's 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists helped the Magic claim a 111–104 win over the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

2015–16 season

On November 18, 2015, Payton scored a then career-high 24 points in a 104–101 win over the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

. Payton appeared in 116 straight games to begin his career before a left ankle injury forced him to sit out four games in early January 2016. He returned to action on January 14 in London to face the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...

, coming off the bench for the first time in 2015–16 and recording four points and four rebounds in a 106–103 overtime loss. On March 23, 2016, he recorded his third career triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 118–102 loss to the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...

2016–17 season

Elfrid Payton And Kyle Lowry (33001664566)

On December 6, 2016, Payton scored 22 of his career-high 25 points in the first half of the Magic's 124–116 win over the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast D ...

. He bested that mark on December 13, 2016, recording career highs with 26 points and 14 assists in a 131–120 win over the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

. On January 14, 2017, he had a career-high 28 points and added nine rebounds and nine assists in a 114–107 loss to the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

. On March 6, 2017, he had his first triple-double of the season with 16 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds in a 113–105 loss to the New York Knicks. Two days later, he had his second straight triple-double with 22 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists in a 98–91 win over the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...

. On March 13, 2017, in a 120–115 loss to the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

, Payton had 13 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his third triple-double of the season. On March 24, he continued his impressive run with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 115–87 win over the

. It was his fourth triple-double in 10 games and seventh of his career. Seven days later, he recorded a career-high 15 assists to go with 12 points and nine rebounds in a 117–116 loss to the Boston Celtics. On April 1, he had 20 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds for his fifth triple-double of the season in the Magic's 121–111 loss to the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...

2017–18 season

Payton missed eight games early on the season 2017–18 season because of a left hamstring injury. An important piece in the Magic's offense, he had 11 points and 11 assists in 29 minutes in his return on November 8, helping the team end a two-game losing streak with a 112–99 win over the New York Knicks. On November 22, he had a season-high 13 assists in a 124–118 loss to the

. On December 23, 2017, he scored a career-high 30 points in a 130–103 loss to the

Phoenix Suns (2018)

On February 8, 2018, Payton was traded to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for a 2018 second-round pick. He made his debut for the Suns two days later, recording 19 points, nine assists and six rebounds in 35 minutes in a 123–113 loss to the Denver Nuggets. In his second game for the Suns on February 12, Payton scored a game-high 29 points in a 129–83 loss to the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

. Two days later, he had a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists in a 107–97 loss to the

. On March 4, 2018, he had 11 points, 10 rebounds and a season-high 14 assists in a 113–112 loss to the

. It was his second triple-double in nine games with the Suns—his nine games needed with the team to record two triple-doubles are the fewest ever by a Suns player.

New Orleans Pelicans (2018–2019)

On July 9, 2018, Payton signed with the New Orleans Pelicans. In his debut for the Pelicans in their season opener on October 17, 2018, Payton recorded 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 131–112 win over the Houston Rockets. Payton's minimalist triple-double made him the first player to record exactly 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a single game since March 2, 2013, when

Kyle Lowry Kyle Terrell Lowry (born March 25, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been a six-time NBA All-Star and was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2016. Lowry ...

did it for Toronto. It was Payton's 11th career triple-double. On November 16, against the New York Knicks, Payton returned to the lineup after missing nine games with a sprained right ankle, only to fracture a finger in his left hand after eight minutes on the court. He was subsequently ruled out for approximately six weeks. He returned to action on December 31 against the

after a 22-game absence. In his second game back on January 2, he scored 25 points in a 126–121 loss to the

. On March 10, he had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 128–116 loss to the

. On March 12, he had his second consecutive triple-double with 14 points, a career-high 15 rebounds and 11 assists in a 130–113 loss to the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

, becoming the first New Orleans player to have a triple-double in consecutive games since

Chris Paul Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and “The Point God”, is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Paul is widely regarded as one o ...

in 2008. On March 15, he had his third consecutive triple-double with 14 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high 16 assists in a 122–110 loss to the

. The next day, he recorded his fourth straight triple-double with 16 points, 16 assists and 13 rebounds in a 138–136 overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns, joining

James Harden James Edward Harden Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Harden is regarded as one of the greatest scorers and shooting guards in NBA ...

, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and

Russell Westbrook Russell Westbrook III (born November 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, he is a nine-time NBA All-Star and ...

as the only players since the 1983–84 season to record triple-doubles in as many as four straight games, and eighth in NBA history. Payton recorded his fifth consecutive triple-double two days later with 19 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in a 129–125 overtime win over the Dallas Mavericks. He also tied Chris Paul for most triple-doubles in a season in franchise history with six, and became only the fifth player to record five consecutive triple-doubles, joining

Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain (; August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player who played as a center. Standing at tall, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 years and is widely reg ...

, Michael Jordan,

Oscar Robertson Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Robertson playe ...

, and Russell Westbrook.

New York Knicks (2019–2021)

On July 9, 2019, Payton signed a reported two-year deal with the New York Knicks. He struggled with injuries early in the season, missing 17 straight games. Upon returning, he provided playmaking ability the Knicks were lacking and was promoted to the starting lineup. On January 31, 2020, Payton received a one-game suspension for pushing

Jae Crowder Corey Jae Crowder (born July 6, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Not being heavily recruited out of high school, Crowder committed to South Georgia Technical ...

in a January 29 game against the

. On February 3, Payton recorded the 17th triple-double of his career with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 15 assists in a 139–134 overtime win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. In the next game, on February 6, he recorded 15 points, nine assists and a career-high seven steals in a 105–103 win over the Orlando Magic. On November 19, 2020, the Knicks waived Payton. On November 29, Payton was re-signed by the Knicks to a reported one-year contract.

Return to Phoenix (2021–2022)

On August 10, 2021, Payton signed with the Phoenix Suns.

Fort Wayne Mad Ants (2023–present)

On February 6, 2023, it was reported that Payton would sign with Osos de Manatí of the

Baloncesto Superior Nacional The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, abbreviated as BSN, is the first-tier-level professional men's basketball list of basketball leagues, league in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1929 and is organized by the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation. T ...

. Two days later on February 8, 2023, the

announced that they had acquired the player right to Payton.

National team career

In the summer of 2013, Payton was a surprise selection to the United States team for the 2013 FIBA Under-19 World Championship. He averaged 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in nine games.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...

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, 73 , , 69 , , 29.4 , , .436 , , .326 , , .589 , , 3.6 , , 6.4 , , 1.2 , , .3 , , 10.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 58 , , 29.4 , , .471 , , .274 , , .692 , , 4.7 , , 6.5 , , 1.1 , , .5 , , 12.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 44 , , 44 , , 28.6 , , .520 , , .373 , , .632 , , 4.0 , , 6.3 , , 1.5 , , .4 , , 13.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

, 19 , , 19 , , 29.0 , , .435 , , .200 , , .685 , , 5.3 , , 6.2 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 11.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, 42 , , 42 , , 29.8 , , .434 , , .314 , , .743 , , 5.2 , , 7.6 , , 1.0 , , .4 , , 10.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 45 , , 36 , , 27.7 , , .439 , , .203 , , .570 , , 4.7 , , 7.2 , , 1.6 , , .4 , , 10.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 63 , , 63 , , 23.6 , , .432 , , .286 , , .682 , , 3.4 , , 3.2 , , .7 , , .1 , , 10.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 50 , , 1 , , 11.0 , , .383 , , .222 , , .375 , , 1.8 , , 2.0 , , .5 , , .1 , , 3.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 500 , , 395 , , 26.8 , , .447 , , .287 , , .623 , , 4.0 , , 5.7 , , 1.2 , , .3 , , 10.1

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

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, style="text-align:left;", New York , 2 , , 2 , , 6.5 , , .000 , , , , .500 , , .0 , , .5 , , .5 , , .0 , , .5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 2 , , 0 , , 3.8 , , .667 , , , , , , .0 , , 1.5 , , .0 , , .0 , , 2.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 4 , , 2 , , 5.2 , , .250 , , , , .500 , , .0 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , .0 , , 1.3

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2011–12 , style="text-align:left;",

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, 32 , , 10 , , 22.7 , , .448 , , .000 , , .564 , , 3.6 , , 3.0 , , 1.2 , , .3 , , 7.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2012–13 , style="text-align:left;",

, 33 , , 33 , , 35.5 , , .475 , , .320 , , .643 , , 5.6 , , 5.5 , , 2.4 , , .6 , , 15.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2013–14 , style="text-align:left;",

, 35 , , 35 , , 35.9 , , .509 , , .259 , , .609 , , 6.0 , , 5.9 , , 2.3 , , .6 , , 19.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 100 , , 78 , , 31.6 , , .485 , , .268 , , .611 , , 5.1 , , 4.9 , , 2.0 , , .5 , , 14.3

Personal life

Payton is the son of former

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

player Elfrid Payton. Payton was well known for his free-flowing hairstyle during his first four seasons in the NBA, before cutting his hair in May 2018. During his time with the Orlando Magic, his hairdo made him a fan favorite.

References

External links

Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns bio

Payton's NBA Career Will Start Back Where It All Began
{{DEFAULTSORT:Payton, Elfrid 1994 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportspeople African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Louisiana John Ehret High School alumni Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball players New Orleans Pelicans players New York Knicks players Orlando Magic players People from Gretna, Louisiana Philadelphia 76ers draft picks Phoenix Suns players Point guards