Elfrid Payton played college basketball for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (2011–2014), where he was named Lefty Driesell National Defensive Player of the Year as a junior and led the Ragin’ Cajuns to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2005. His draft rights were traded to the Orlando Magic after being selected 10th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2014 NBA Draft. On March 8, 2019, Payton notched his fifth straight triple-double in a win over Dallas to become just the fifth player in NBA history to record a triple-double in at least five consecutive games.