By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
Adreian Payne’s shooting sent shockwaves all around the world, and former teammate and friend Draymond Green vowed to honour his memory by starting a fund in his name.
“My emotions are kind of all over the place,” Green told reporters after the Warriors’ 101-98 victory over the Grizzlies Monday night. “I’m going to go home and sit on my podcast and talk because I can pause that and cry if I need to cry, I don’t like to cry in front of people.”
Green was a member of the Spartans during his junior and senior NCAA seasons and played alongside Payne, and the two developed a friendship that lasted through the years.
The Warriors forward announced his wife and he will donate a significant fund in late Payne’s name, while he called his “Spartans family” to get together and take action.
“Hazel [Green’s wife] and I will donate $100k to a fund in Adreian’s name. I call all my Spartans family. Coach [Tom] Izzo, Jaren Jackson, Miles Bridges, Mat Ishbia, all of my Spartan family to come in and let’s do something in honour of Adreian”, Green said. “If that’s naming something on the campus after him, if that is some scholarships for some kids from Dayton, whatever that is, I call on my Spartan family to bend together and do something in Adreian’s name”.
“I’m going to go home and talk about Adreian, talk a little bit about this game, but I can do it at my own speed and at my own pace,” he said teary-eyed. “I apologize, I’ll give you guys the greatest press conference after Wednesday’s game, but I just don’t have it in me tonight”.