Gary Payton's historical status in this timeline is very worrisome because he was utterly destroyed in the '96 Finals.
In the original history, when people thought of Payton, they would recall his defensive highlight against Kobe in '96.
Although a closer look at the game reveals it wasn't solely Payton's doing, that round of the Finals indeed brought Payton prestige.
And now? Whenever people bring up Payton, they remember how he, as the DPOY, was utterly humiliated by Roger in '96.
The '96 Finals brought Payton nothing but shame instead of honor.
Even the Admiral was saved by comparison because Dream's dominating performance against the Admiral wasn't as complete as Roger's against Payton.
Payton dreams of washing away such disgrace, but the chances to face Roger are just too few.
And last season, due to internal team issues, the SuperSonics lost both games against Magic.
This time, Payton had finally seen a glimmer of hope to restore his reputation.
