A nine-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA First Team member, Gary Payton used intelligence, size, hustle and tenacity to dominate opponents, becoming one of the best players of his era.

He was named Defensive Player of the Year in 1996, leading the Seattle SuperSonics to the NBA Finals, where they fell to Michael Jordan and the champion Chicago Bulls.

Payton later earned a ring with the Miami Heat in 2006 and was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team.

He spoke with NBA.com about defense, the necessary skills for a great point guard and his favorite moment from his legendary career.

Editor’s Note: The following conversation has been condensed and edited.

NBA.com: What do you watch for when watching a game? Where do your eyes go?

Gary Payton: I’m watching for who’s the most intelligent in the game — who’s looking for the next play? I like that.

It’s somebody like LeBron [James], somebody like Kevin Durant — what is the next play going to be? What’s going to happen? And that’s what I’m looking at.

It’s the same with [Damian] Lillard. Seeing him do the things he’s doing this season, making shots, making great passes and looking for the next play — that’s what I like. I like more of that type of basketball.

How would you teach a young point guard to develop their basketball IQ in a game that demands so much spacing, shooting and speed?

I would tell them to slow down. You’ve got to be patient with a lot of things. A lot of kids speed up, and then a lot of teams make them speed up.

With Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] and Oklahoma City, he plays at his pace. He gets people where he wants them to go, and then he makes them foul.

I like that type of basketball, where you can do it at your own pace. Jrue Holiday in Portland, he does it that way. He makes his own pace. He doesn’t let people speed him up. I like that about a kid.

That’s what I think young kids have to understand — you really have to look at the game.

What will make me effective? Not turning the ball over and getting a great pass and getting the shot off? Or me turning the ball over, and giving the other team pace to go down and score?

What does elite defense require from a player? How did you develop that growing up?

The mindset. You can’t teach anybody how to play defense. I think your mindset has to be: I’ve got to stop somebody. I’ve got to be using my hands. I’ve got to be anticipating.

Two guys in the NBA — my son (Gary Payton II) and Jrue Holiday — do that very well. They pace you, they time you, and they’ll rip at the basketball.

You have to look at your opponent and see what he does the weakest, and send it there, make him uncomfortable.

That’s what I did — I made a lot of players uncomfortable. I oppressed them. I’d make them do things. I’d turn them, I’d spin them, I’d do that with things that they weren’t used to. By the time the shot clock gets to eight or nine, they’re speeding up. Then, all of a sudden, I can take advantage of that.

How do you develop that feel, that ability to analyze on the court, your opponent and what your team needs?

You’ve got to have that feel for the game. When you get into a basketball game, you feel it, and you feel that player out. What does he want to do a lot?

When I came into a basketball game, I had to feel who could fear me. Who would fear me? If a young kid feared me, I knew I could take advantage of him. If a guy didn’t fear me, then what could I do to rattle him? What can I do to get him in a different mode, where he’s going to be thinking about me mostly, and not his teammates?

I went into the game and said, “Do I have someone who’s going to fear me? Do I have someone who’s going to stick up to me?”

When I adjusted to that, I altered my game that way.

How would you guard reigning Kia MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?

I’d keep my hands on him. I’d keep him uncomfortable. I would stay down — all the pump-faking, I wouldn’t go for it. I would make him take tough shots. I would rip at the ball a lot.

With him, he’s big; he’s very aggressive getting downhill. When he doesn’t have the ball, I’d deny him. Make him work for it, tire him out, and see how that works out.

Great scorers, you can’t stop. All you can do is slow them down. If I can get him to get 16, 18 points, then I’m doing a great job, even 20.

Is there anyone Shai reminds you of?

Almost like Mitch Richmond. Mitch Richmond was very effective, and he’s big and strong.

How do you think the 1995-96 SuperSonics would do in today’s game?

We would dominate. We had big-time players out there.

We had a big guard in me at the point. Hersey Hawkins at the two could shoot it. Detlef Schrempf was deadly — I don’t think any three could guard him here now. Then, Shawn Kemp, a four that was dominant. And you had the first stretch big man, I think, in Sam Perkins. He could get inside with that left, and he was so smooth. I think we’d be pretty good in this era.

Which opponents made you raise your game the most, and what did you learn from playing against them?

Two guys — I liked playing against Michael Jordan. But one guy that made me bring it all out was John Stockton in Utah. When we played Utah and Karl Malone, they were so fundamentally sound that I just really thought we had to be on our P’s and Q’s every night. We couldn’t make mistakes with them. [Stockton] had the ball so many times, and he was so effective.