Adreian Payne, the former Michigan State big man and 2014 first-round pick of the Atlanta Hawks, has died at age 31. Details surrounding his death weren’t immediately available but have since been released.
According to a press release from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Orlando, Fla., Payne was shot early Sunday morning and was pronounced dead on arrival at a local hospital. The alleged shooter, Lawrence Dority, stayed at the scene of the crime and cooperated with police.
Michigan State basketball reporter Chris Solari tweeted out the full police report on Monday.
Dority was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder.
The Ohio native played at Michigan State under Tom Izzo from 2010-14. He was Second-Team All-Big Ten in his junior and senior seasons. Payne and Michigan State won Big Ten tournament titles in 2012 and 2014.
Payne was selected 15th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. During his four seasons in the NBA, Payne also played for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic.
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Payne tragically lost his mother to a severe asthma attack when he was just 13. His mother died in his arms while he was searching for her inhaler. He lost his grandmother, who became his legal guardian following his mother’s death, to asthma-related respiratory failure a few years into his college career.
After leaving the NBA after the 2017-18 season, Payne played internationally in Greece, China, and Lithuania.
