NBA player Adreian Payne, who once played for the Michigan State basketball team, has died. He was 31.

NBA's official website confirmed the tragic news, saying that the Orange County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a call at 1:34 a.m on Monday. about a man who had been shot. Responders were still able to rush him to a medical facility, but he was later pronounced dead.

The deputies arrested 29-year-old Lawrence Dority, who was purportedly present at the scene. He was charged with a first-degree murder warrant following an interview with homicide detectives.

After the emergence of the shocking news, his colleagues and fans took their time to express their heartbreaks over the recent loss.

Payne's former MSU teammate, Anthony Ianni, said, "He was just all about life. He was all about putting smiles on people's faces. And he was just a kind and gentle soul. That was Adrian Payne that we all that we that we watched grow, and that's the guy that we were proud to call our brother."

Adreian Payne's Journey in NBA

Before his passing, Payne established a commendable career in the NBA. He played in a total of 197 games, having an average of four points and three rebounds after playing in four seasons with Orlando, Atlanta, and Minnesota.

In 2014, The Hawks drafted him No. 15 overall before trading him to the Timberwolves. As a rookie, he averaged 6.7 points and 5.1 rebounds.

A few years later, he was waived following the publication of an ESPN report about his alleged sexual assault incidents.

Still, he managed to get up and play inside the court again. Earlier this year, Payne played for Juventus in Lithuania. He also served in Turkey, China, Greece, and France.

Payne still created plants to start a non-fungible token, according to his former college teammate, Brandon Wood.

"He was looking to start an NFT tied to the Spartans. I'll never forget the good times I had with him and Draymond (Green) when we were roommates. If you ever spent time around AP, you understood that he had a really big heart and he cared about people," Wood said in a recent telephone interview.

The late basketball star also marked one of his greatest legacies when he befriended the young, cancer-stricken girl, Lacey Holsworth. However, she died due to complications from neuroblastoma a week after MSU won the Big Ten tournament.