“When you’re in a marriage that works, it’s just awesome,” Payne’s dad Tony said. “Phoenix is good for him, and he’s good for Phoenix. The style of play really fits, they allow him to be up tempo, he sees the floor real well. Phoenix plays a wide open style and allows him to shoot the 3.”
Payne was a solid contributor all season for the Suns, averaging 8.4 points and 3.6 assists, but his real value became apparent during the team’s first round win over the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.
Paul suffered a shoulder injury in Game 1 which forced him into a lesser role. Payne picked up the slack, scoring 12.5 points per game and providing toughness in critical times against the Lakers and LeBron James.
He even got ejected in Game 1 after a scuffle with Alex Caruso and Montrezl Harrell. While not his intent, it was another piece of evidence of Payne’s newfound confidence and passion. He played much of the series with a black eye, further cementing his never-give-in persona.
The underdog mentality has always suited Payne, who was only about 5-foot-8 until a growth spurt midway through high school. He played on one of the best AAU teams in Memphis, Tennessee, but didn’t attract much interest from Division I coaches. Murray State was one of the few that was interested.
He was coached at Murray State by Steve Prohm, who said Payne’s experience at perseverance has come in handy.
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