According to Florida officials, former NBA star Adreian Payne was actually shot and died in Orlando.
Payne, 31, was discovered shot by Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies who responded to a shooting dead just after 1 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday.
He was interrogated by murder investigators at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, where he was eventually recognized by authorities as Lawrence Dority.
According to the statement, Dority has been detained and taken to the Orange County Jail on a search warrant for First Degree Murder. He may or may not have an attorney at all at this time, and the reason for the shooting remains a mystery.
Payne was a star for the Michigan State Spartans during his four seasons as a center, helping the club win the Big Ten Conference Championship on two occasions.
Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Orlando Magic chose him in the first round of the NBA draft in 2014, where he spent four seasons.
According to a press release as well from Michigan State’s men’s basketball department, he went on to play overseas in places including China, Greece, France, Turkey, and Lithuania.
Coach Tom Izzo stated in a statement that he was “shocked” by the devastating news of Adreian Payne’s death. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and teammates,” he stated in a statement.
His teammates and coaches adored him and valued his growth both as a player and a person. A gifted young man, he arrived to Michigan State determined to make it as an NBA player.
For his “kind heart” and relationship with Lacey Holsworth, an eight-year-old who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in 2012, Izzo said that Payne will be remembered by Spartans fans.
“For the whole Spartan basketball family, it is a tough and sad day. Adreian eventually returned to East Lansing on a regular basis after graduation,” Izzo said.
It was via this process that he built and deepened ties with top players from all periods.” In the course of the day, I’ve heard from a slew of those players, all of whom are mourning the loss of Adreian but also remembering him fondly.
