Adreian Payne: a basketball player shot to death

Shock, pain and rage in the world of sports. Adreian Payne, a former NBA player, has died at the age of 31.

It happened on the streets of Orlando, Florida. For reasons that are still unknown, Adreian Payne was shot. TMZ reported the incident.

Although he arrived at the hospital alive, little could be done to save him.

The police are investigating the events. Within hours, they arrested a 29-year-old suspect, Lawrence Dority. He has been officially charged with first-degree murder, TMZ reports.

Adreian Payne rose to prominence playing at Michigan State, where he was the star of a team that also included Draymond Green.

In fact, the Golden State Warriors power forward, and one of the current NBA stars, mourns his friend from the university team.

Adreian Payne put in such a performance at Michigan State that he was selected 15th overall in the 2014 Draft by the Atlanta Hawks.

Curiously, the forward did not adapt to the NBA and, in four seasons, he would play no more than 107 games, between Atlanta, Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic.

His averages in the NBA stayed at a meager 4.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, which led Orlando to cut him loose.

His departure from Orlando Magic was also marked by a scandal from the past. It was a harassment case in which Adreian Payne had been involved in 2010, while still at Michigan State as a freshman.

After a disappointing run in the NBA, Adreian Payne crossed the Atlantic. He went to play for the Greek Panathinaikos, one of the best teams in Europe at the time.

After a brief stint in the Chinese League, he would return to Greece, from where he would jump to the French ASVEL Villeurbanne. He had his best season as a pro in 2019-2020.

In the photo, you see him with Luka Doncic of Real Madrid.

Curiously, his best numbers were not enough to find a big team to sign him. Payne ended up playing for the Turkish team Mugla Ormanspor and the Lithuanian team Juventus Utena.

In February 2022, at the age of 31, Adreian Payne announced his retirement from professional basketball. He had a promising career behind him that never quite delivered on its promise.

Just a few months into retirement, Adreian Payne was shot in Orlando. Now that he's dead, it becomes clear how many friends he made in the world of basketball. Many farewells have appeared on social media, such as this one from Edy Tavares.

Michigan State University has also said farewell to him as the great star he was. A similar goodbye came from ASVEL Villeurbanne.

Basketball player and coach Arch Miller also remembered Adreian Payne on Twitter. He recalls that he started watching him play 'in 10th grade.'