NBA Players That Died 2022
NBA players that died in 2022 include legendary athlete Bill Russell. However, Russell was not the only member of the NBA family to pass away in the past year.
Some others are:
- Gene Shue- April 3, 2022
- Wayne Cooper- April 11, 2022
- Adreian Payne- May 9, 2022
- Bob Lanier- May 10, 2022
- Caleb Swanigan _ June 20, 2022
- Johnny Egan- July 21, 2022
- Bill Russell- July 31, 2022
- Togo Palazzi- August 12, 2022
- Paul Silas- December 10, 2022
- Louis Orr- December 15, 2022
Adreian Payne
Adreian Payne passed away on May 9, 2022, after being fatally shot. Payne was just 31 years old.
Adreian started his playing career after he enrolled at Jefferson High School. Later he played for Michigan State Spartans in the college basketball.
Atlanta Hawks selected him for the team, in the 2014 Draft. In the summer league, he scored an average of 12.5 points and 7.0 rebounds. His second franchise in the league was Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Hawks traded him to the Timberwolves in exchange if a protected first-round pick in 2015. After three seasons with the team, he signed with Orlando Magic in August 2017.
Throughout his journey in the league, Payne played in 107 regular games. He scored an APG of .6 and 2.9 rebounds. Moreover, he played for Panathinaikos in the Euro League 2017-2018.
Caleb Swanigan
Caleb Swanigan passed away on June 20, 2022, due to natural causes. Swanigan was just 25 years old at the time of passing away.
"Indiana's Mr. Basketball" began his professional career with Portland Trail Blazers in 2017. He had been dreaming of that moment for a long time.
After playing two seasons with the team, he was traded to Sacramento Kings in 2019. He played with the G league franchise Stockton Kings on December 16.
On January 20, 2020, Portland acquired him back in exchange for Kent Bazemore, Anthony Tolliver, and two future second-round picks.