Gary Payton vs. Klay Thompson: NBA Rankings Comparison
The ultimate statistical showdown: compare Gary Payton and Klay Thompson 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 Gary Payton, with a career spanning 17 seasons from 1991 to 2007, and Klay Thompson, with 12 seasons played from 2012 to 2025, stand among the league's historical elite..
Dive into a meticulous breakdown of their positions in every major statistical category—from scoring and rebounding to assists, steals, and blocks—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.
Gary Payton vs. Klay Thompson | ||||
Career Totals |
Season | Playoffs | ||
Gary Payton | Klay Thompson | Gary Payton | Klay Thompson | |
Points | 39th | 111st | 58th | 29th |
Rebounds | 254th | +300th | 158th | 136th |
Assists | 11th | +300th | 29th | 113rd |
Steals | 5th | +300th | 30th | 54th |
Blocks | +300th | +300th | 299th | 101st |
Years | 17 | 12 | 15 | 9 |
Gary Payton vs. Klay Thompson | ||||
Career Per Game |
Season | Playoffs | ||
Gary Payton | Klay Thompson | Gary Payton | Klay Thompson | |
Points | 205th | 93rd | +300th | 114th |
Rebounds | +300th | +300th | +300th | +300th |
Assists | 39th | +300th | 90th | +300th |
Steals | 25th | +300th | 101st | +300th |
Blocks | +300th | +300th | +300th | +300th |
Comparisons on this page: |
Their rankings for: |
Note: per game rankings include players with a minimum of games played
Career Totals, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Gary Payton | Klay Thompson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
Points | 39th | 111st | 72 | 21,813 vs. 16,536 | 5,277 |
Rebounds | 254th | +300th | +46 | 5,269 vs. 3,041 | 2,228 |
Assists | 11th | +300th | +289 | 8,966 vs. 1,988 | 6,978 |
Steals | 5th | +300th | +295 | 2,445 vs. 726 | 1,719 |
Blocks | +300th | +300th | 285 vs. 443 | 158 | |
Offensive Rebounds | 265th | +300th | +35 | 1,392 vs. 406 | 986 |
Defensive Rebounds | 180th | +300th | +120 | 3,877 vs. 2,635 | 1,242 |
Field Goals Made | 26th | 125th | 99 | 8,708 vs. 6,155 | 2,553 |
Field Goals Attempted | 30th | 105th | 75 | 18,698 vs. 13,659 | 5,039 |
3-Pointers Made | 126th | 5th | 121 | 1,132 vs. 2,697 | 1,565 |
3-Pointers Attempted | 82nd | 6th | 76 | 3,570 vs. 6,563 | 2,993 |
Free Throws Made | 142nd | +300th | +158 | 3,265 vs. 1,529 | 1,736 |
Free Throws Attempted | 116th | +300th | +184 | 4,480 vs. 1,778 | 2,702 |
Games and Years: | Gary Payton | Klay Thompson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
Games Played | 18th | +300th | 1,335 vs. 865 | 470 | |
Seasons | 51st | +300th | 17 vs. 12 | 5 | |
Rankings by Points Scored: | Gary Payton | Klay Thompson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
40+ point games | 138th | 64th | 74 | 6 vs. 18 | 12 |
50+ point games | - | 29th | 0 vs. 4 | 4 | |
60+ point games | - | 11th | 0 vs. 1 | 1 | |
70+ point games | - | - | 0 vs. 0 | 0 |
Career Totals, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Gary Payton | Klay Thompson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
Points | 58th | 29th | 29 | 2,155 vs. 3,032 | 877 |
Rebounds | 158th | 136th | 22 | 575 vs. 626 | 51 |
Assists | 29th | 113rd | 84 | 811 vs. 351 | 460 |
Steals | 30th | 54th | 24 | 216 vs. 150 | 66 |
Blocks | 299th | 101st | 198 | 32 vs. 85 | 53 |
Offensive Rebounds | 152nd | +300th | +148 | 148 vs. 79 | 69 |
Defensive Rebounds | 120th | 76th | 44 | 427 vs. 547 | 120 |
Field Goals Made | 50th | 28th | 22 | 855 vs. 1,126 | 271 |
Field Goals Attempted | 48th | 23rd | 25 | 1,938 vs. 2,585 | 647 |
3-Pointers Made | 70th | 2nd | 68 | 137 vs. 501 | 364 |
3-Pointers Attempted | 56th | 4th | 52 | 435 vs. 1,237 | 802 |
Free Throws Made | 137th | 158th | 21 | 308 vs. 279 | 29 |
Free Throws Attempted | 122nd | 195th | 73 | 436 vs. 330 | 106 |
Games and Years: | Gary Payton | Klay Thompson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
Games Played | 42nd | 39th | 3 | 154 vs. 158 | 4 |
Playoffs | 17th | 223rd | 206 | 15 vs. 9 | 6 |
Rankings by Points Scored: | Gary Payton | Klay Thompson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
40+ point games | - | 78th | 0 vs. 1 | 1 | |
50+ point games | - | - | 0 vs. 0 | 0 |
Career Per Game Averages, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Gary Payton | Klay Thompson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
Points per game | 205th | 93rd | 112 | 16.34 vs. 19.12 | 2.78 |
Rebounds per game | +300th | +300th | 3.95 vs. 3.52 | 0.43 | |
Assists per game | 39th | +300th | +261 | 6.72 vs. 2.30 | 4.42 |
Steals per game | 25th | +300th | +275 | 1.83 vs. 0.84 | 0.99 |
Blocks per game | +300th | +300th | 0.21 vs. 0.51 | 0.30 | |
Offensive Rebounds per game | +300th | +300th | 1.04 vs. 0.47 | 0.57 | |
Defensive Rebounds per game | +300th | +300th | 2.90 vs. 3.05 | 0.14 | |
Field Goals Made per game | 174th | 104th | 70 | 6.52 vs. 7.12 | 0.59 |
Field Goals Attempted per game | 183rd | 89th | 94 | 14.01 vs. 15.79 | 1.78 |
3-Pointers Made per game | +300th | 2nd | +298 | 0.85 vs. 3.12 | 2.27 |
3-Pointers Attempted per game | +300th | 6th | +294 | 2.67 vs. 7.59 | 4.91 |
Free Throws Made per game | +300th | +300th | 2.45 vs. 1.77 | 0.68 | |
Free Throws Attempted per game | +300th | +300th | 3.36 vs. 2.06 | 1.30 |
Career Per Game Averages, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Gary Payton | Klay Thompson | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
Points per game | +300th | 114th | +186 | 13.99 vs. 19.19 | 5.20 |
Rebounds per game | +300th | +300th | 3.73 vs. 3.96 | 0.23 | |
Assists per game | 90th | +300th | +210 | 5.27 vs. 2.22 | 3.04 |
Steals per game | 101st | +300th | +199 | 1.40 vs. 0.95 | 0.45 |
Blocks per game | +300th | +300th | 0.21 vs. 0.54 | 0.33 | |
Offensive Rebounds per game | +300th | +300th | 0.96 vs. 0.50 | 0.46 | |
Defensive Rebounds per game | +300th | +300th | 2.77 vs. 3.46 | 0.69 | |
Field Goals Made per game | 255th | 116th | 139 | 5.55 vs. 7.13 | 1.57 |
Field Goals Attempted per game | 266th | 97th | 169 | 12.58 vs. 16.36 | 3.78 |
3-Pointers Made per game | +300th | 4th | +296 | 0.89 vs. 3.17 | 2.28 |
3-Pointers Attempted per game | +300th | 9th | +291 | 2.82 vs. 7.83 | 5.00 |
Free Throws Made per game | +300th | +300th | 2.00 vs. 1.77 | 0.23 | |
Free Throws Attempted per game | +300th | +300th | 2.83 vs. 2.09 | 0.74 |
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.