"Former Timberwolves forward Adreian Payne dies from gunshot wound"https://www.startribune.com/former-timberwolves-forward-adreian-payne-dies-at-age-31/600171700/#:~:text=Adreian%20Payne%2C%20who%20played%20three%20seasons%20for%20the,Michigan%20State%2C%20where%20he%20was%20All-Big%20Ten%20twice.
Adreian Payne, who played three seasons for the Timberwolves after a standout career at Michigan State, has died at age 31 from a gunshot wound.
The Orange County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office released a statement Monday saying deputies responded to reports of a shooting in Orlando at 1:37 a.m. Payne had been shot and was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The alleged shooter, Lawrence Dority, was arrested on a warrant for first degree murder and taken to the Orange County Jail, the sheriff's office said.
A 6-foot-10 forward, Payne was a first round pick (15th overall) of the Atlanta Hawks in 2014 after four seasons at Michigan State, where he was All-Big Ten twice.
He bounced around the NBA and the G League and then played overseas, winning titles in Greece in 2018 and 2019. He was with Juventus Utena in Lithuania last season.
Payne spent three of his five NBA seasons with the Wolves, playing in Minnesota from 2014-17. In 99 games (24 starts) he averaged 4.1 points and 3.1 rebounds.
He was known at Michigan State for his friendship with a young cancer patient named Lacey Holsworth, an 8-year-old he met during a hospital visit in 2013. Holsworth helped the team cut down the nets when it won the Big Ten tournament that season, and died a month later.
While with the Timberwolves in 2017, Payne was sidelined for three weeks by thrombocytopenia, a platelets deficiency that was addressed with rest and medication.
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nba-adreian-payne-former-msu-standout-and-hawks-1st-round-pick-dies-at-31-154352192.htmlAfter a stellar college career, Payne was picked 15th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2014 draft. He spent most of his first year with the Hawks dealing with plantar fasciitis and going back and forth between the team and the NBA's D League, until he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Feb. 2015.
He stayed with the Timberwolves through the 2016-17 season, then spent a short time with the Orlando Magic before deciding to play overseas. He began with Greek team Panathinaikos in 2018 and proceeded to move around the international pro basketball circuit. He played steadily for teams in China, France, and Turkey. His most recent team was Juventus Utena in Lithuania where he played for a few months before ending his time with the team in Feb. 2022.
