Tom Payne (basketball)
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Personal information | |
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Born | Shawnee (Louisville, Kentucky) | November 19, 1950
College | Kentucky (1970–1971) |
NBA draft | 1971: Hardship round, 2 |
Selected by the Atlanta Hawks | |
Position | Center |
Number | 34 |
Career history | |
1971–1972 | Atlanta Hawks |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Thomas Robert Payne (born November 19, 1950) is a former professional basketball player, professional boxer and a convicted serial rapist.
A 7-foot, 2-inch center, Payne played with the
Early years
The eldest of nine children, Payne broke one record in birth; he was the longest baby ever born at the local hospital.[3] He grew up in a home where academics were stressed; his father had attained the rank of master sergeant in the United States Army before retiring, and his mother had a bachelor's degree in biology. His eight siblings were also well-educated, with a total of fourteen college degrees.
Despite his height and incredible physical skills, Payne was basically a newcomer to basketball. He didn't play organized basketball until his sophomore season at Shawnee High School at Louisville, Kentucky. By his senior season, he was one of the most coveted players in the nation, with Kentucky and UCLA recruiting him. On June 9, 1969, the high-school All-American signed with Kentucky; he was not only the tallest player ever to play at the school at that time, he was also legendary coach Adolph Rupp's first-ever African-American player.
University of Kentucky
Touted as "another
Payne boosted his grades and gained eligibility to play during his sophomore season, averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds per game, earning all-
For all his temper, Payne continued to improve during the season, and dominated opponents. He scored 34 points in one game against
During the summer however, Payne experienced a variety of troubles. In August, a police officer cited him for speeding in his new
Professional basketball
Payne was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks and, during the 1971–1972 season, averaged 4.1 points in 29 games.[1] During the season, his mother, a major influence in his life, died.
Professional boxing record
Tom Payne | |
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Born | Thomas Robert Payne November 19, 1950 Heavyweight |
Stance | Orthodox |
Fighting out of | California, United States |
Years active | 1984-1985 |
Professional boxing record | |
Total | 4 |
Wins | 2 |
By knockout | 2 |
Losses | 2 |
By knockout | 2 |
Legal issues
In 1972, Payne was convicted of raping a woman and served five years in a Georgia prison. After completing his sentence in Georgia, Payne served six years in a Kentucky prison on separate rape charges before being paroled in 1983.[3][2] However, Payne was again convicted of rape in 1986, this time in California. Payne was paroled in California in 2000, only to return to prison in Kentucky for a parole violation. Payne was paroled in January 2019.[2] Payne said in a 2015 interview with WHAS-TV that he regretted his past behavior and was reformed.[4]
References
- ^ a b "Tom Payne NBA & ABA Statistics".
- ^ a b c Cash, Rana L. (November 20, 2018). "Tom Payne, UK's first black player, paroled after years on rape charges". The Courier Journal. Louisville. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
- ^ a b Leonard, Connie (May 11, 2005). "One-Time UK Great Still Behind Bars After Three Decades". WAVE-TV. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
- ^ Treinen, Andy (February 25, 2015). "Fmr. UK basketball player, convicted of raping multiple women, says he's reformed". WHAS-TV. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
External links
- Tom Payne's career NBA statistics
- Boxing record for Tom Payne from BoxRec (registration required)