Career
He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 19th pick of the 1989 National Basketball Association Draft held at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, where he was booed by a gathering of fans. In four National Basketball Association seasons from 1989 to 1993 for the Sixers, he averaged 3.5 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. He was waived by the team in January, 1993 after failing to live up to expectations.
He also played professionally overseas in Italy, Japan, Brazil, the Philippines, Cyprus, China, Argentina and Australia.
Following his National Basketball Association stint, Payne played one season in the Continental Basketball Association in 1993-1994, averaging 16.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game for the Tri-City Chinook. In 2012 Payne met with Mississippi State University"s athletic director about its men"s basketball head-coaching vacancy, though, ultimately, he was not hired.