BIOGRAPHY
Elfrid Payton Jr. was born on February 22, 1994, in Gretna, Louisiana. He is a point guard in the NBA.
Payton Jr began his career playing prep sports at John Ehret High School in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.
Payton Jr would commit to playing collegiate basketball at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. In his sophomore season, Payton Jr. He averaged 15.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.4 steals per game and was named first team All-Sun Belt conference. He would also play on the intentional youth circuit representing the United States. In the FIBA World U19 Championship, Payton Jr helped the squad win a gold medal. As a junior, Payton Jr. averaged 19.2 points, 5.9 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game and he was again named first team All-Sun Belt and was the conference Defensive Player of the Year. At the end of the season, he was named the National Defensive Player of the Year by winning the Lefty Driesell Award.
Payton was drafted with the 10th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, but was then traded to the Orlando Magic. He spent three and a half seasons in Orlando before being traded to the Phoenix Suns in February 2018.
On July 9, 2018, Payton signed with the Pelicans. In their season opener on October 17, 2018, Payton recorded 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 131–112 win over the Rockets. Payton's minimalist triple-double made him the first player to record exactly 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a single game since March 2, 2013, when Kyle Lowry did it for Toronto. It was Payton's 11th career triple-double. As a member of the New Orleans Pelicans, Payton Jr. had five consecutive triple-doubles and became only the fifth player to record five consecutive triple-doubles, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, and Russell Westbrook.
On July 9, 2019, Payton Jr. signed with the New York Knicks.
