Troy Payne

Troy Payne, born on May 8, 1988, in Los Angeles, California, played college basketball at Dorsey High School. During his senior year in 2006-07, he averaged 16.7 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. He then attended Citrus College for two seasons (2007–2009), contributing to a conference championship and a state title in his freshman year. In 2008-09, he achieved first-team all-state JUCO honors and was recognized as the conference MVP. That season, he averaged 10.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 3.1 steals per game.

Payne transferred to Santa Clara University, playing for the Santa Clara Broncos men’s basketball team from 2009 to 2011. In the 2009-10 season, he started every game, leading the team with 52 steals and averaging 4.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.6 steals over 32 games. As a senior in 2010-11, he was named the West Coast Conference (WCC) Defensive Player of the Year. He averaged 5.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.6 steals across 38 games. After being undrafted in the 2011 NBA draft, he later spent preseason with the Los Angeles D-Fenders in November 2011, after being selected with the final pick in the D-League draft.

Following his playing career, Payne transitioned into the sports industry. He worked as an intern with the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball operations department during the 2011–12 NBA season. He then played professionally in Australia with the NW Tasmania Thunder in 2013, averaging 14.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. In 2014, he played for the Otago Nuggets in the New Zealand NBL, where he recorded a triple-double. Today, Troy Payne is a Partner and VP of Basketball Operations & Brand Partnerships at Equity Basketball, and an NBPA Certified Agent. He is also recognized as a concierge, sports marketing expert, and branding expert based in Los Angeles, California.