McMillan

In the wake of Gary Payton passing Fred Brown as the Sonics all-time leading scorer, head coach Nate McMillan recently reflected on the last 11 years he's spent with The Glove as a teammate and a coach and explained what he believes makes the six-time All-Star tick.

Q: What were your thoughts when the Sonics drafted Gary in 1990?

McMILLAN: I remember everybody raving about this young guy we had coming in. He missed most of training camp and didn't play with the team until the Green & Gold game. He came out not knowing anybody or any plays, but did very well because of his ability and his competitiveness.

Q: What part of Gary's game has helped him become the Sonics scoring king?

McMILLAN: I don't think people give him enough credit for the work he put in to become the player we see today. When he first came into the league, he was mainly a penetrator who could knock down the mid-range jumper. He worked with then-Sonics Assistant Coach Tim Grgurich every day in the offseason back home in Oakland, and in Las Vegas to improve his shooting. He put in the time when people didn't know it and that's what made him the player you see now.

Q: How would you rate Gary's competitive drive to succeed?

McMILLAN: People talk about how competitive Michael Jordan is, but I think Gary's right there in the same class. It doesn't matter if he's shooting pool or playing ping-pong or dominos, he wants to win in everything he does. He can't play ping-pong at all, but he will challenge you and will get just as upset about losing as he does about losing a basketball game.

Q: How has Gary's style of talking at opposing players affected his game?

McMILLAN: Since he first came into the league, Gary has always been a guy that does a lot of talking. When players talk as much as Gary, they normally only back up about half of what they say. Gary has always backed up everything he says.