To the surprise of no one, Gary Payton was selected yesterday by NBA coaches to play in his eighth consecutive All-Star Game.

To the surprise of many, he won't start, aced out by Kobe Bryant of the Lakers and the Rockets' Steve Francis in a vote by fans that spoke to their knowledge, as much as their ignorance.

Unquestionably, Bryant is a superstar. But Francis missed most of the first half of the season because of a foot injury. Nonetheless, he will start in Philadelphia on Feb. 10, apparently due to his marquee appeal nationwide.

"That's how the system is," said Sonics coach Nate McMillan. "We haven't been on TV. Fans haven't gotten the opportunity to see what Gary's done. He's basically carrying the team."

What Gary's done is this: averaged 22.9 points, 9.2 assists and 4.7 rebounds. He has a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, which means at his current pace, it could be 6-to-1 by the end of the year.

More than the statistical evidence, Payton, at 33, has taken on new roles as team spokesman and respected leader. In the past, he might have gone off on reporters and teammates. Now he communicates, distributing advice as well as the ball.

"He's come in and done a great job," McMillan said. "He's continuing to compete at a high level."

Watching him from afar, Payton's former coach George Karl has been impressed.

"Other than Jason Kidd, no one is playing better than him at the guard position," said Karl, now coaching the Milwaukee Bucks. "He doesn't have the blazing quickness he once had, but he's still effective. He's better defensively. He's got a stronger body."

In regards to Payton's changed attitude, Karl said: "I used to tell him, 'Gary, you have good leadership, and you have bad leadership. You choose which way you want to go.' As he gets older, he's choosing the good path, not the crazy path.

"But even in the negative mode, he was passionate toward winning. With Gary, you know he feels the pain. Hell, you want guys to feel the pain, rather than having guys who are laughing five minutes after they got their asses kicked."

Payton has averaged more than eight points and eight assists in his previous seven All-Star appearances. In 1995, Payton was second in All-Star Game MVP voting after helping Mitch Richmond win the award. Payton had 15 assists.