Ex-NBA player Adreian Payne, 31, is shot dead in Orlando: Suspect, 29, is charged with murder

January 2024 · 4 minute read

Former NBA player and Michigan State star Adreian Payne was shot to death in a Florida townhouse early Monday morning.

Orange County deputies were called to the scene of the shooting in Orlando at 1:30am and discovered a victim later identified as Payne, a police spokesperson told DailyMail.com. The 31-year-old Payne was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared dead.

A 29-year-old suspect named Lawrence Dority has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Dority remains in custody at the Orange County Jail. 

Dority was still at the scene of the crime when police arrived, according to a department statement. He was interviewed by officers before being apprehended. Further details about the circumstances surrounding the incident have not been revealed. 

Former NBA player and Michigan State star Adreian Payne was shot to death in a Florida townhouse early Monday morning

Former NBA player and Michigan State star Adreian Payne was shot to death in a Florida townhouse early Monday morning

Lawrence Dority (pictured), 29, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder

Lawrence Dority (pictured), 29, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder

The shooting took place at a townhouse in the Orlando area, according to reports

The shooting took place at a townhouse in the Orlando area, according to reports

Payne’s death was first revealed by former Ohio State All-American Jared Sullinger.

‘Hate the news i received this morning,’ wrote Sullinger. ‘Rest Easy to my brother/Teammate @Adreian_Payne.’

Sullinger and Payne competed against each other at their respective Big 10 schools and in the NBA before bouncing around leagues in Europe and China.

After an impressive collegiate career with the Spartans, Payne was picked 15th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2014 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-10 power forward was later traded to Minnesota, where he had his best years as a backup for the Timberwolves.

He fell out of the NBA after spending the 2018 season with the Orlando Magic and subsequently played in Greece, where he won a league title, as well as China, Turkey and Lithuania.

Payne famously befriended an 8-year-old cancer patient named Lacey Holsworth while playing at Michigan State. The two met a team-sponsored event in 2011 and began to talk and text frequently. Later, Holsworth appeared with Payne at senior night in 2014, months before succumbing to neuroblastoma, a nerve cancer, that April.

Payne's death was first revealed by former Ohio State All-American Jared Sullinger. 'Hate the news i received this morning,' wrote Sullinger. 'Rest Easy to my brother/Teammate @Adreian_Payne.' Sullinger and Payne competed against each other at their respective Big 10 schools and in the NBA before bouncing around leagues in Europe and China

Payne’s death was first revealed by former Ohio State All-American Jared Sullinger. ‘Hate the news i received this morning,’ wrote Sullinger. ‘Rest Easy to my brother/Teammate @Adreian_Payne.’ Sullinger and Payne competed against each other at their respective Big 10 schools and in the NBA before bouncing around leagues in Europe and China

Payne famously befriended an 8-year-old cancer patient named Lacey Holsworth (right) while playing at Michigan State. The two met a team-sponsored event and began to talk and text frequently. Later, Holsworth appeared with Payne at senior night in 2014 (pictured), months before succumbing to neuroblastoma, a nerve cancer, that April

Payne famously befriended an 8-year-old cancer patient named Lacey Holsworth (right) while playing at Michigan State. The two met a team-sponsored event and began to talk and text frequently. Later, Holsworth appeared with Payne at senior night in 2014 (pictured), months before succumbing to neuroblastoma, a nerve cancer, that April

After an impressive collegiate career in East Lansing, Payne was picked 15th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2014 NBA Draft

The 6-foot-10 power forward was later traded to Minnesota, where he had his best years as a backup for the Timberwolves. He fell out of the NBA after spending the 2018 season with the Orlando Magic and subsequently played in Greece, where he won a league title, as well as China, Turkey and Lithuania

After an impressive collegiate career in East Lansing, Payne was picked 15th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2014 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-10 power forward was later traded to Minnesota, where he had his best years as a backup for the Timberwolves. He fell out of the NBA after spending the 2018 season with the Orlando Magic and subsequently played in Greece, where he won a league title, as well as China, Turkey and Lithuania

Many remembered Payne for his relationship with Holsworth, including ESPN's Jay Bilas

Many remembered Payne for his relationship with Holsworth, including ESPN’s Jay Bilas

‘She wouldn’t want me to be sad,’ Payne said after her death in 2014. ‘It’s hard.

‘I learned so much, just seeing her fight every day,’ he said. ‘It’s really been hard. She taught me to preserve through anything and just be strong.’

Many remembered Payne for his relationship with Holsworth on Monday.

‘So sad to hear that former Michigan State star Adreian Payne passed away at the age of 31,’ wrote ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas. ‘AP was an outstanding player for Tom Izzo, and befriended Lacey Holsworth through her battle with cancer. RIP Adreian Payne.

‘I’ll always remember AP’s relationship with Princess Lacey Holsworth, an 8-year-old who died of cancer,’ tweeted ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk, a Michigan State alum. ‘Their bond was incredible.’

‘Hope that wherever they are, they are together,’ a fan tweeted. ‘RIP Lacey & RIP Adreian.’

ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk, a Michigan State alum, said he'll always remember Payne for his relationship with Holsworth, an 8-year-old battling cancer. She passed away in 2014

ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk, a Michigan State alum, said he’ll always remember Payne for his relationship with Holsworth, an 8-year-old battling cancer. She passed away in 2014 

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