Former NBA player Adreian Payne dies in shooting

Former college basketball star Adreian Payne, who came to play in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic, died Monday in a shooting in Orlando, at the age of 31. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office, in the state of Florida, reported that it received notification that an altercation with firearms was taking place at 01:34 in the morning and that, despite urgently transferring the former player to a nearby hospital, where his death was confirmed. The police also stated that a 29-year-old suspect who was present at the crime scene has already been arrested, charged with first-degree murder.

Adreian Payne trained at Michigan State University under the orders of legendary coach Tom Izzo, where he completed his four-year career and coincided with other future NBA stars such as Draymond Green or Gary Harris. Considered one of the greatest promises in the country, the pivot exploded in his last season with the Spartans jersey. His statistics (16.4 points and 7.3 rebounds on average) made him a desired player for the NBA Draft.

At that time, he befriended Lacey Holsworth, an 8-year-old girl suffering from neuroblastoma, a cancer that affects the nervous system. They met in 2011, after a visit by the Michigan State basketball team to a hospital. ‘Princess Lacey’, as Payne nicknamed her, was able to accompany the player to some of her games, until she passed away on April 8, 2014. The center attended her funeral and even gave a heartfelt speech.

In 2014, the Atlanta Hawks chose Adreian Payne with the 15th pick in the Draft. After standing out in the Summer League, the summer tournament in which promising young players and players looking to gain a foothold in the NBA compete, they decided to incorporate him directly to the squad without having to go through the development league. However, plantar fasciitis forced him to miss the first games of the season. Finally, Payne made his NBA debut on December 26, 2014, against the Milwaukee Bucks, a game in which he played 13 minutes (2 points and 3 rebounds).

After playing only three games with the Hawks jersey, he was transferred to the Minnesota Timberwolves in February 2015. In Minneapolis he enjoyed more prominence, playing an average of 25 minutes per game in which he contributed 7.2 points and 5.4 bounces. However, he would be reduced to a marginal role in later seasons.

Fired by the Orlando Magic

In 2017, he was accused of an alleged sexual assault that occurred in 2010

In August 2017, he signed a contract with the Orlando Magic. In January of the following year, he was fired after ESPN published the testimony of a Michigan State University student who accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2010 along with another teammate. Although no charges were filed, according to the police investigation, Payne himself acknowledged that the victim had reiterated that he wanted to leave the room they were in when the events occurred.

With 107 NBA games behind him, in which he averaged 4 points and 2.9 rebounds, Payne packed his bags and tried his luck in Europe. He joined Greek side Panathinaikos for the remainder of the 2017-18 season, but played a secondary role (4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in twelve games), which caused him to fly to China in the summer.

His good performance in Asia made him return to Panathinaikos in January 2019. However, his contractual relationship ended that same month of March. The pivot then began a journey in which he defended the jerseys of ASVEL Villeurbanne in France, Ormanspor in Turkey and Juventus Utena in Lithuania until he was left without a team on February 17, 2022.

Globetrotter

After his time in the NBA, he played in Greece, China, France, Turkey and Lithuania.

Brandon Wood, a former classmate of his at Michigan State University, explained to Associated Press that Payne was an entrepreneur and that he was considering starting a project that would link the NFTs with the Spartans.