Adreian Payne

Adreian Payne
Born	Adreian DeAngleo Payne (1991-02-19) 19 February 1991 Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
Died	9 May 2022(2022-05-09) (aged 31) Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player
Years active	2014–2022
Known for	NBA player for Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic; collegiate basketball at Michigan State Spartans

Adreian DeAngleo Payne (February 19, 1991 – May 9, 2022) was an American professional basketball athlete. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Orlando Magic, alongside stints with several teams across Europe and Asia. Payne's collegiate basketball career was spent with the Michigan State Spartans.

High school career

At Jefferson High School in Dayton, Ohio, Payne distinguished himself by averaging 15.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks during his senior year. He guided Jefferson to a Division IV state title, finishing the season with a 19–5 record, and received first-team All-Area recognition from the Dayton Daily News. Additionally, he earned fourth-team All-American honors from Parade magazine.

College career

During his freshman year at Michigan State University, Payne appeared in 34 games and posted averages of 2.5 points and 2.4 rebounds per contest. He was diagnosed with a permanent reduction in lung capacity, which impacted his endurance.

In his sophomore campaign, Payne led the Spartans with 39 blocks, ranking seventh in the Big Ten Conference. Over 37 games (starting 36), he averaged 7.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game and was honored with Academic All-Big Ten recognition.

As a junior, Payne topped the Big Ten in free-throw shooting percentage (.848) and blocked 46 shots, placing sixth on Michigan State’s all-time single-season list. In 36 games (24 starts), he averaged 10.5 points and 7.6 rebounds while playing an average of 25.6 minutes per game. His performance earned him Second Team All-Big Ten honors alongside teammates Keith Appling and Gary Harris.

Prior to his senior season, Payne was named to the preseason watchlists for both the Naismith College Player of the Year and Wooden Awards. CBS Sports included him on their preseason Third Team All-America squad. Midseason, he appeared on the Wooden Award Top 25 watchlist and was twice recognized as Big Ten Player of the Week. Despite missing seven games due to an ankle injury, Payne concluded the regular season as a Second Team All-Big Ten selection.

NCAA Tournament

In the 2014 NCAA Tournament, Payne led Michigan State with a standout performance of 41 points in a 93–78 victory over Delaware. During that game, he set an NCAA Tournament record by converting all 17 of his free-throw attempts.

Friendship with Lacey Holsworth

Throughout the 2013–14 season, Payne's relationship with Lacey Holsworth—a young cancer patient aged eight—captured national attention. Their friendship began during a team visit to the hospital in 2011 and continued through regular communication. Holsworth joined Payne at center court on Senior Night and assisted him in cutting down the nets after Michigan State secured the Big Ten tournament championship. Known affectionately as "Princess Lacey," she passed away from neuroblastoma on April 8, 2014.

Atlanta Hawks (2014–2015)

Payne was selected as the 15th overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the June 26, 2014 NBA draft. Following an average of 12.5 points and seven rebounds during Summer League play, he signed his rookie contract on July 25. After participating in five preseason contests, plantar fasciitis in his left foot caused him to miss the first ten regular-season games.

Upon recovery, Payne was frequently moved between the Hawks and their NBA Development League affiliates—the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and Austin Spurs—taking advantage of the flexible assignment rule to navigate roster restrictions. He made his NBA debut on December 26 against the Milwaukee Bucks, contributing two points and three rebounds over thirteen minutes in a losing effort. Payne's assignments continued until he was recalled by Atlanta on January 12, 2015.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2015–2017)

On February 10, 2015, Payne was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for a protected future first-round draft pick. On March 9, 2015, stepping in for Kevin Garnett as a starter, he recorded a season-best performance with 16 points and 15 rebounds during an 89–76 defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Timberwolves opted to extend Payne's rookie contract by exercising their third-year team option on October 21, 2015, securing his services through the 2016–17 season. On January 25, 2016, he was assigned to the Erie BayHawks, the D-League affiliate of the Orlando Magic, before being recalled on February 1.

Payne was sidelined indefinitely starting February 7, 2017, due to a blood disorder characterized by low platelet levels. He made his return to the court in late March of that year.

Orlando Magic (2017–2018)

On August 21, 2017, Payne inked a two-way contract with the Orlando Magic. Throughout much of the 2017–18 campaign, he primarily played for Orlando's NBA G League team, the Lakeland Magic. His tenure with Orlando ended when he was waived on January 26, 2018, following allegations of sexual assault dating back to his college years; no charges were brought after an investigation.

Panathinaikos (2018)

Payne joined Panathinaikos of the Greek Basketball League on February 5, 2018, for the remainder of the season. His standout game occurred against Spanish side Valencia, where he tallied 12 points and secured eight rebounds in just 17 minutes. He earned his first EuroLeague start in the final regular-season match versus Olimpia Milano. Over eight games, he averaged 3.5 points and four rebounds.

Nanjing Tongxi Monkey King (2018–2019)

Starting the 2018–19 season with the Nanjing Tongxi Monkey King in the Chinese Basketball Association, Payne posted averages of 16.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per contest.

Return to Panathinaikos (2019)

On January 12, 2019, Payne rejoined Panathinaikos for a second stint in the EuroLeague club. The center signed for the rest of the season on January 13. He played a role in Panathinaikos' triumph in the Greek Basketball Cup final against PAOK BC, winning 79–73 in Heraklion, Crete on February 17. Nevertheless, his time with the team was brief as he was released on March 13, 2019.

ASVEL (2019–2020)

Payne signed with French club ASVEL Basket of the LNB Pro A on March 19, 2019. During his period there, he contributed to ASVEL capturing both the Pro A championship and the French Cup, significant titles for the organization.

Ormanspor (2021)

On February 25, 2021, Payne agreed to terms with OGM Ormanspor, competing in Turkey’s top-tier league, the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL).

Juventus (2021–2022)

In December of 2021, Payne signed with Juventus Utena in Lithuania’s premier basketball competition, the Lithuanian Basketball League. He averaged 8.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and recorded 1.1 steals per game before parting ways with Juventus on February 17, 2022.

NBA

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Atlanta | 3 || 0 || 6.3 || .286 || .000 || .500 || 1.3 || .0 || .3 || .0 || 1.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Minnesota | 29 || 22 || 24.8 || .418 || .125 || .659 || 5.4 || 1.0 || .6 || .3 || 7.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Minnesota | 52 || 2 || 9.3 || .366 || .281 || .654 || 2.1 || .6 || .3 || .2 || 2.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Minnesota | 18 || 0 || 7.5 || .426 || .200 || .737 || 1.8 || .4 || .4 || .4 || 3.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Orlando | 5 || 0 || 8.6 || .700 || .667 || .833 || 1.8 || .0 || .4 || .0 || 4.2 |- | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" | Career | 107 || 24 || 13.1 || .406 || .254 || .680 || 2.9 || .6 || .4 || .3 || 4.0

EuroLeague

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2017–18 | style="text-align:left;"| Panathinaikos | 12 || 1 || 9.5|| .579|| .000|| .542|| 2.8|| 0.2|| 0.3|| 0.3|| 4.8|| 4.2 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" | Career | 12||1||9.5||.579||.000||.542||2.8||0.2||0.3||0.3||4.8||4.2

Death

On May 9, 2022, Payne was shot and killed in Orlando, Florida while trying to defuse a domestic altercation at the residence of Lawrence Dority. After being rushed to the hospital, Payne was declared deceased. Dority alleged he felt endangered by Payne's stature and thought Payne was reaching for a weapon; however, law enforcement concluded that Payne did not pose a threat and subsequently arrested Dority on charges of first-degree murder.

See also

• List of basketball players who died during their careers

External links

• Michigan State Spartans biography (archived)
• Adreian Payne profile at LNB Élite