ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A former NBA player who last played for the Magic, was killed in Orlando overnight, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Officials say Adreian Payne, a former Michigan State forward, was shot in the 2500 block of Egret Shores Drive around 1:30 a.m. EDT.
Payne, 31, was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“It’s definitely heartbreaking, but just to remember him playing basketball – he was a great basketball player – and right now we just want to focus on that and his life,” said family friend Kayla Jones.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.
— Orlando Magic PR (@Magic_PR) May 9, 2022
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The Sheriff's Office has arrested Lawrence Dority, 29, on a first-degree murder warrant.
Lawrence Dority
In four seasons at Michigan State — three as a starter — Payne played center and averaged 10.6 points and three rebounds per game. He led the Spartans to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament his final season.
In a statement released by Michigan State, Spartans coach Tom Izzo said, "Adreian was loved by his teammates and coaches, who respected his development as a player and a person. He came to Michigan State with a ton of raw talent and put in the work to reach his goal of becoming an NBA player. Beyond that, he will long be remembered by Spartan fans for his kind heart, as his friendship and genuine bond with Lacey Holsworth touched the nation.
"Today is a difficult and sad day for the Spartan basketball family."
— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) May 9, 2022
Payne developed a friendship with Holsworth, a young girl with neuroblastoma, after meeting her during a hospital visit by Spartans players, and she served as an inspiration to Michigan State's basketball team until her death.
Payne averaged 4.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 107 career games in the NBA. He played his final five NBA games in Orlando with the Magic in 2017. He played with the Magic's G League team in Lakeland before that. Payne was released by the Magic following an ESPN report in 2018 about sexual assault allegations against Spartans football and basketball players. The Magic did not comment on the reason for his release. Payne did not face any charges.
He started his career with the Atlanta Hawks in 2014 and played parts of three seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Payne also played professionally in Greece, China, Turkey and Lithuania, including in 2022 with Juventus of the Lithuanian Basketball League