Former NBA player Payne shot and killed in Orlando
Adreian Payne, a former Michigan State basketball standout and NBA player, has died in a shooting. He was 31.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a shooting at 1:34 a.m. Monday when Payne was identified and taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Lawrence Dority, 29, was present at the scene, according to the Sheriff’s Office. He was arrested on a first-degree murder warrant after homicide detectives interviewed him.
Payne played in 107 NBA games, averaging four points and three rebounds, over four seasons with Atlanta, Minnesota and Orlando. The Hawks drafted him No. 15 overall in 2014, traded him to the Timberwolves, and he averaged 6.7 points and 5.1 rebounds as a rookie.
The Magic waived the 6-foot-10 forward in January, 2018, after he was part of an ESPN report that detailed sexual assault allegations against former basketball and football players at the school.
Payne played professionally earlier this year for Juventus in Lithuania. He also played in Turkey, France, Greece and China.
Payne, who is from Dayton, Ohio, started in 94 of 138 games over four seasons for Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo at Michigan State. He averaged 16.4 points and 7.3 rebounds as a senior during the 2013-14 season
Brown tabbed as Sacramento Kings coach
The Sacramento Kings officially announced the hiring of Mike Brown as their new head coach with hopes he can end the NBA’s longest playoff drought ever.
General manager Monte McNair said Monday that Brown was picked to replace interim coach Alvin Gentry. The Kings fired Gentry after a season during which they set an NBA record by missing the playoffs for a 16th straight year.
“Mike has consistently demonstrated his ability to lead winning teams throughout his long and successful coaching career,” McNair said in a statement. “He has worked with some of the best players in the NBA and is one of the league’s premier defensive minds. I am excited to bring his extensive experience to Sacramento.”
Brown currently is an assistant with Golden State and will remain with the Warriors for the rest of their playoff run. Brown previously had two stints as head coach in Cleveland, where he guided the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2007, and had one stint as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Pro Bowl CB Bradberry released by Giants
The New York Giants have released veteran cornerback James Bradberry.
A starter for the team the past two seasons, including making the Pro Bowl in 2020, Bradberry is a salary cap casualty. He would have been a $21.9 million cap hit, so cutting him Monday will save about $10 million. The team can designate him a post-June 1 release and save another $1.5 million on the cap for 2022.
Bradberry was signed as a free agent two years ago after a solid four seasons in Carolina. He started 31 games the past two seasons and was particularly dependable in 2020 with his pass coverage. He had three interceptions that season.
Overall, he made 100 tackles, 80 solo, with four interceptions and 35 passes defensed. Bradberry recovered three fumbles for New York.
The Giants attempted to trade the 28-year-old Bradberry, but his salary was an obstacle they couldn’t overcome.