NBA Wordle #70
Sunday, September 13, 2026 · already played
The answer
Spoiler for the puzzle of Sunday, September 13, 2026. Today's puzzle is not revealed anywhere on this page.
PAYTON
Gary Payton
G · 1990–2007
Gary Payton's career
Gary Payton played 17 seasons between 1990 and 2007, across 5 franchises — Thunder, Bucks, Lakers, Celtics and Heat. Over 1,335 regular-season games he averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists, finishing with 21,813 career points. He was 9× All-Star, 9× All-NBA, 1× Defensive Player of the Year, 1× champion and member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
He entered the league in the 1990 draft, taken 2th overall, a lottery pick expected to start immediately. That makes him a product of the 1990s, and his career totals should be read against the pace and rules of that period.
Across a unusually long career of 17 seasons he was a consistent starter at 16.3 points per game. He was a genuine playmaker, not just a finisher.
- Games
- 1,335
- PPG
- 16.3
- RPG
- 3.9
- APG
- 6.7
- Points
- 21,813
- Rebounds
- 5,269
- Assists
- 8,966
- 3PM
- 1,132
Teams
- Thunder · 1991–2003
- Bucks · 2003
- Lakers · 2004
- Celtics · 2005
- Heat · 2006–2007
Honours
9× All-Star · 9× All-NBA · 9× All-Defensive · 1× Defensive Player of the Year · 1× NBA champion · 2× Olympic gold · NBA 75th Anniversary Team
About the answer
The answer was PAYTON — 6 letters, made up of 6 distinct letters and beginning with P.
The optional hint offered that day read: “Point guard · debuted 1990”.
Why this was a fair answer
Answers are never obscure by design: the pool is every NBA All-Star who debuted in the 1969-70 season or later, plus current players carrying a real scoring role. Gary Payton qualifies on the first route, with 9 All-Star selections — a perennial selection rather than a one-off. He was later named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
With 5 franchises on his record, the shared-team clue was unusually generous here — a wide range of guesses would have lit it up green and pointed the wrong way as often as the right one. The 1 championship ring were another strong signal — most of the pool has none.
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