Draymond Green honored his friend and former teammate on one of the biggest stages in the NBA.
Ahead of Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals, the Warriors star forward was seen warming up sporting kicks with the words “Long live 5” and "RIP AP" to pay tribute to the late Adreian Payne, his teammate at Michigan State who was shot and killed in Florida early Monday morning.
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Green tweeted several heartbroken emojis Monday morning, and some fans responded knowing how much the duo meant to Michigan sports.
Payne, who was the 15th pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2014 NBA Draft, was 31.
The 6-foot-10 forward played four seasons in the league with multiple teams. Following the 2017-18 season, Payne never played in the NBA again but spent the last few years of his career playing overseas.
Golden State Warriors
The former Spartans stars played two seasons together at Michigan State. Payne averaged 16.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game for Michigan State and led the team to the Elite Eight during the 2013-14 season.
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With the memory of his friend on his feet, Green and the Warriors will look to take advance their series lead to three games before heading to Memphis.