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Warriors' Draymond Green, Wife Hazel Donating $100K to Honor Adreian Payne

Tim Daniels@@TimDanielsBRFeatured Columnist IVMay 10, 2022

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 10: Hazel Renee and Draymond Green are seen on January 10, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.  (Photo by TM/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
TM/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green and his wife, actress Hazel Renee, announced they are donating $100,000 to honor the legacy of Adreian Payne.

CNN's Tina Burnside, Kevin Dotson and Amy Woodyatt reported Payne, 31, was shot and killed in Orlando during the early morning hours Monday. The Orange County Sheriff's Office said Lawrence Dority was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

Draymond Green @Money23Green

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Green and Payne were college teammates at Michigan State from 2010 through 2012.

The Warriors scored a 101-98 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 4 of the teams' second-round playoff series Monday night. Green made a key block inside the final 15 seconds to help give the Dubs a 3-1 series lead:

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DRAYMOND'S CLUTCH BLOCK WINS GAME 4 πŸ”’ <a href="https://t.co/DW0FtuStOV">pic.twitter.com/DW0FtuStOV</a>

"It was great to lose myself in the game for 48 minutes," Green told ESPN's Kendra Andrews. "Rest in peace, Adreian Payne. My brother, my little brother, my college roommate, my teammate. Very, very emotional day, but the win helps. It sucks."

Afterward, he hosted a special edition of his Draymond Green Show podcast entitled "A Tribute To Adreian Payne."

Payne was a first-round pick of the Atlanta Hawks in 2014. He played for several teams in the NBA and overseas. He was most recently a member of Juventus Utena in Lithuania during the 2021-22 season.

Michigan State reached the NCAA tournament in both seasons Green and Payne were on the roster together (2010-11 and 2011-12) and won the 2012 Big Ten tournament title.

MSU head coach Tom Izzo said Payne would "long be remembered by Spartan fans for his kind heart, as his friendship and genuine bond with Lacey Holsworth touched the nation."

Payne befriended Holsworth, an 8-year-old girl with cancer, during his time with the Spartans after meeting her at the hospital. Holsworth died in 2014.