Elgin Baylor vs. Gary Payton: NBA Rankings Comparison
The ultimate statistical showdown: compare Elgin Baylor and Gary Payton all-time NBA rankings. Explore their historical standing across total and per-game stats, regular season and playoffs. Who ranks higher?
This in-depth analysis goes beyond basic career numbers to provide an unparalleled look at where Elgin Baylor, with a career spanning 14 seasons from 1959 to 1972, and Gary Payton, with 17 seasons played from 1991 to 2007, stand among the league's historical elite..
Dive into a meticulous breakdown of their positions in every major statistical category—from scoring, rebounding and assists to steals, blocks, triple-doubles, and rankings by points thresholds—across both regular season and their entire playoff careers. Our comprehensive tables offer side-by-side rankings, value comparisons, and key differences, ensuring you have all the definitive data to assess their historical impact.
First, review a concise summary of how they rank in NBA history in the main categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks) for both total and per-game stats, and below, you can then explore in detail all their stats and their historical rankings.
Elgin Baylor vs. Gary Payton | ||||
Career Totals |
Season | Playoffs | ||
| Elgin Baylor | Gary Payton | Elgin Baylor | Gary Payton | |
| Points | 35th | 39th | 20th | 58th |
| Rebounds | 28th | 255th | 10th | 158th |
| Assists | 161st | 11th | 57th | 29th |
| Steals | n/a | 5th | n/a | 30th |
| Blocks | n/a | +300th | n/a | 299th |
| Years | 14 | 17 | 12 | 15 |
Elgin Baylor vs. Gary Payton | ||||
Career Per Game |
Season | Playoffs | ||
| Elgin Baylor | Gary Payton | Elgin Baylor | Gary Payton | |
| Points | 5th | 206th | 12th | +300th |
| Rebounds | 9th | +300th | 12th | +300th |
| Assists | 194th | 39th | 187th | 90th |
| Steals | n/a | 25th | n/a | 101st |
| Blocks | n/a | +300th | n/a | +300th |
Steals, blocks, offensive and defensive rebounds started to be recorded in the 1973-74 season. The 3-point shot was implemented in the 1979-80 season.
n/a = The player doesn't have data for the stat.
Comparisons on this page: |
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Their rankings for: |
Note: per game rankings include players with a minimum of games played
Career Totals, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Elgin Baylor | Gary Payton | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points | 35th | 39th | 4 | 23,149 vs. 21,813 | 1,336 |
| Rebounds | 28th | 255th | 227 | 11,463 vs. 5,269 | 6,194 |
| Assists | 161st | 11th | 150 | 3,650 vs. 8,966 | 5,316 |
| Steals | n/a | 5th | 0 vs. 2,445 | ||
| Blocks | n/a | +300th | 0 vs. 285 | ||
| Offensive Rebounds | n/a | 265th | 0 vs. 1,392 | ||
| Defensive Rebounds | n/a | 180th | 0 vs. 3,877 | ||
| Field Goals Made | 27th | 26th | 1 | 8,693 vs. 8,708 | 15 |
| Field Goals Attempted | 19th | 30th | 11 | 20,171 vs. 18,698 | 1,473 |
| 3-Pointers Made | n/a | 126th | 0 vs. 1,132 | ||
| 3-Pointers Attempted | n/a | 82nd | 0 vs. 3,570 | ||
| Free Throws Made | 27th | 142nd | 115 | 5,763 vs. 3,265 | 2,498 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 31st | 116th | 85 | 7,391 vs. 4,480 | 2,911 |
Games and Years: | Elgin Baylor | Gary Payton | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Games Played | +300th | 18th | +282 | 846 vs. 1,335 | 489 |
| Seasons | 194th | 58th | 136 | 14 vs. 17 | 3 |
Triple-Doubles: | Elgin Baylor | Gary Payton | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Triple-Doubles | 21st | 45th | 24 | 26 vs. 15 | 11 |
Rankings by Points Scored: | Elgin Baylor | Gary Payton | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| 40+ point games | 5th | 139th | 134 | 88 vs. 6 | 82 |
| 50+ point games | 5th | - | 17 vs. 0 | 17 | |
| 60+ point games | 6th | - | 3 vs. 0 | 3 | |
| 70+ point games | 2nd | - | 1 vs. 0 | 1 | |
Career Totals, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Elgin Baylor | Gary Payton | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points | 20th | 58th | 38 | 3,623 vs. 2,155 | 1,468 |
| Rebounds | 10th | 158th | 148 | 1,724 vs. 575 | 1,149 |
| Assists | 57th | 29th | 28 | 541 vs. 811 | 270 |
| Steals | n/a | 30th | 0 vs. 216 | ||
| Blocks | n/a | 299th | 0 vs. 32 | ||
| Offensive Rebounds | n/a | 152nd | 0 vs. 148 | ||
| Defensive Rebounds | n/a | 120th | 0 vs. 427 | ||
| Field Goals Made | 16th | 50th | 34 | 1,388 vs. 855 | 533 |
| Field Goals Attempted | 12th | 48th | 36 | 3,161 vs. 1,938 | 1,223 |
| 3-Pointers Made | n/a | 70th | 0 vs. 137 | ||
| 3-Pointers Attempted | n/a | 56th | 0 vs. 435 | ||
| Free Throws Made | 17th | 137th | 120 | 847 vs. 308 | 539 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 16th | 122nd | 106 | 1,098 vs. 436 | 662 |
Games and Years: | Elgin Baylor | Gary Payton | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Games Played | 80th | 42nd | 38 | 134 vs. 154 | 20 |
| Playoffs | 76th | 17th | 59 | 12 vs. 15 | 3 |
Triple-Doubles: | Elgin Baylor | Gary Payton | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Triple-Doubles | 13th | 31st | 18 | 4 vs. 2 | 2 |
Rankings by Points Scored: | Elgin Baylor | Gary Payton | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| 40+ point games | 4th | - | 14 vs. 0 | 14 | |
| 50+ point games | 9th | - | 1 vs. 0 | 1 | |
| 60+ point games | 1st | - | 1 vs. 0 | 1 | |
| 70+ point games | - | - | 0 vs. 0 | 0 | |
Career Per Game Averages, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Elgin Baylor | Gary Payton | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points per game | 5th | 206th | 201 | 27.36 vs. 16.34 | 11.02 |
| Rebounds per game | 9th | +300th | +291 | 13.55 vs. 3.95 | 9.60 |
| Assists per game | 194th | 39th | 155 | 4.31 vs. 6.72 | 2.40 |
| Steals per game | n/a | 25th | 0.00 vs. 1.83 | ||
| Blocks per game | n/a | +300th | 0.00 vs. 0.21 | ||
| Offensive Rebounds per game | n/a | +300th | 0.00 vs. 1.04 | ||
| Defensive Rebounds per game | n/a | +300th | 0.00 vs. 2.90 | ||
| Field Goals Made per game | 3rd | 175th | 172 | 10.28 vs. 6.52 | 3.75 |
| Field Goals Attempted per game | 1st | 183rd | 182 | 23.84 vs. 14.01 | 9.84 |
| 3-Pointers Made per game | n/a | +300th | 0.00 vs. 0.85 | ||
| 3-Pointers Attempted per game | n/a | +300th | 0.00 vs. 2.67 | ||
| Free Throws Made per game | 11th | +300th | +289 | 6.81 vs. 2.45 | 4.37 |
| Free Throws Attempted per game | 10th | +300th | +290 | 8.74 vs. 3.36 | 5.38 |
Career Per Game Averages, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Elgin Baylor | Gary Payton | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points per game | 12th | +300th | +288 | 27.04 vs. 13.99 | 13.04 |
| Rebounds per game | 12th | +300th | +288 | 12.87 vs. 3.73 | 9.13 |
| Assists per game | 187th | 90th | 97 | 4.04 vs. 5.27 | 1.23 |
| Steals per game | n/a | 101st | 0.00 vs. 1.40 | ||
| Blocks per game | n/a | +300th | 0.00 vs. 0.21 | ||
| Offensive Rebounds per game | n/a | +300th | 0.00 vs. 0.96 | ||
| Defensive Rebounds per game | n/a | +300th | 0.00 vs. 2.77 | ||
| Field Goals Made per game | 9th | 255th | 246 | 10.36 vs. 5.55 | 4.81 |
| Field Goals Attempted per game | 4th | 266th | 262 | 23.59 vs. 12.58 | 11.01 |
| 3-Pointers Made per game | n/a | +300th | 0.00 vs. 0.89 | ||
| 3-Pointers Attempted per game | n/a | +300th | 0.00 vs. 2.82 | ||
| Free Throws Made per game | 26th | +300th | +274 | 6.32 vs. 2.00 | 4.32 |
| Free Throws Attempted per game | 24th | +300th | +276 | 8.19 vs. 2.83 | 5.36 |
Note: the per game rankings on this page respect the minimums usually applied by the NBA for all-time leaders, 400 games for regular season stats unless the player reached these thresholds before: 10,000 points; 4,000 rebounds; 2,000 assists; 625 steals; 500 blocks; 250 3-pointers made. Also 3 minimum games for the Playoffs are applied.