Doc Rivers recalls Gary Payton showing up to the Celtics practice with a broken thumb: "What are you doing here?"

The Gary Payton–Karl Malone experiment with the Los Angeles Lakers failed to deliver the desired results. The veteran duo came together to close in on their first championship. Sadly, things did not go as planned, as they fell short against the underdog Detroit Pistons team in the 2004 Finals.

Heading into the off-season, the Lakers traded Payton to the Boston Celtics. Not happy with the new setup, The Glove did not hesitate to express his displeasure. He even went so far as to say that he did not wish to play in Boston, nor did he want to move his family from the West Coast.

Nonetheless, he did turn up for training camp on time, showing his professionalism. Preparing for the 2004-05 season, Payton fractured his right thumb during an exhibition game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Surprisingly, he would show up for practice within a week.

Coach Doc Rivers was indeed surprised to see Payton on the floor, considering a fractured thumb took six to eight weeks of recovery. Not to mention the greater degree of damage it was susceptible to had he decided to play with it.

“I had no idea. But I walked out, and he was on the floor. I said, ‘What are you doing here?'” stated Rivers on seeing Payton ahead of the season-opener against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Payton made sure the practice carried on as usual

Arriving at practice with a hard splint on his right thumb, Payton told his teammates not to go easy on him and carry out the routine drills as usual.

“I told them to just play normally. I’ve got to play. I won’t think about it. If I think about it, I’ll fool around and make mistakes. I won’t catch the ball,” revealed the SuperSonics veteran.

The Celtics conducted a 90-minute practice session, with Payton playing for close to 60 minutes. Wrapping up the session, he exited with a towel wrapped around his thumb.

According to the 2004 ESPN report, the Celtics had been working on a cushion for the splint that the NBA would approve since hard casts were not allowed. This was crucial for them to keep GP on the floor without risking any further injury.

Payton’s stint in Boston

Though reluctant initially, Payton had no choice but to suit up for the Celtics. The 1996 DPOY surely had a hard time coming to terms with his prime nearing its end. Taking up the veteran leadership role, he averaged 11.3 points, 6.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds on 46.8 percent shooting.

In a sudden move, he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks later that season in a deal that had Antoine Walker return to the Celtics. That said, the Hawks waived him immediately after the trade. Adding further twists to the tale, The Glove returned to the Celtics a week later.

Making the playoffs, the C’s suffered a first-round exit, losing to the Indiana Pacers in seven games. The following season, Payton signed a one-year deal with the Miami Heat, winning the 2006 championship alongside Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade the same year.

In the end, being professional paid off for Payton, whether it was showing up to practice with a broken thumb or setting aside his ego to re-sign with the Celtics.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 12, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Doc Rivers recalls Gary Payton showing up to the Celtics practice with a broken thumb: “What are you doing here?”

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