Knicks Guard's Unique Motivation: 'Don't Want to Go Back Overseas'

The New York Knicks have a fighter in a recently-signed point guard.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 16, 2024

Oct 13, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Cameron Payne (1) reacts after a basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

New York Knicks point guard Cam Payne has had a wild career in the NBA.

Payne, 30, was a lottery pick chosen at No. 14 overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2015 NBA Draft, teaming him up with future MVP Russell Westbrook to mentor him at the start of his career in the league.

However, it only took one season for Payne to go from promising lottery pick to journeyman as he was traded to the Chicago Bulls midway through his second season. Payne struggled to find his footing in the Windy City, and by the end of his fourth year in the league, he didn't have any teams looking to sign him.

Eventually, Payne went overseas and played two games for the Shanxi Loongs in the Chinese Basketball Association. The experience helped shape the second half of Payne's career so far.

"The biggest experience was me being waived and going overseas," Payne said via SNY. "I don't want to go back overseas. That's my identity. I'm going to play my heart out. I'm going to do whatever I gotta do to help the team win."

Since coming back stateside, Payne earned his way back into the NBA going to the G League and signing with the Phoenix Suns just before their miraculous eight-game run in the COVID bubble in Orlando in late 2020. Payne parlayed his play from that stretch of games into three more seasons with the Suns, where he has played his best basketball.

Last year, Payne was with the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers, but now he is with the Knicks, where he has reunited with two of his former Suns teammates in Mikal Bridges and Landry Shamet in hopes of getting back to where he was.

With Payne's mindset, he should be able to bring an energy to the Knicks this season that will be welcomed in the second unit.

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Published Oct 16, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.