54 Tom Payne

Tom Payne was born Thomas Robert Payne on November 19, 1950, in Louisville, Kentucky, to Thomas Robert Payne Sr. and Elaine Johnson. The eldest of nine children, Payne did not begin organized basketball until his sophomore year at Shawnee High School, but his extraordinary size and athletic ability soon made him one of the nation’s most coveted prospects. As a senior, the 7-foot-2 center averaged 25.8 points and 29 rebounds per game while shooting 61 percent from the field, attracting recruiting attention from both Kentucky and UCLA.

Payne signed with Kentucky in June 1969 and became the first African American basketball player in program history, marking a pivotal moment in the integration of Wildcat basketball. After an entrance-test score kept him from freshman competition, he remained in Lexington, improved academically and starred for a local AAU team before gaining varsity eligibility. During the 1970–71 season, Payne averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds per game, earned All-Southeastern Conference honors and helped Kentucky capture its 26th SEC regular-season championship.

His lone varsity season contained several dominant performances. Payne scored 34 points with 15 rebounds against Georgia, followed five days later by a career-high 39 points and 15 rebounds against LSU. In the championship-clinching victory over Auburn, he scored 30 points, displaying the combination of size, mobility and scoring touch that made him one of the most imposing centers in college basketball.

Payne left Kentucky after the season and was chosen second overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA’s inaugural Supplemental Hardship Draft in 1971. He appeared in 29 games during his only NBA season, averaging 4.1 points and 2.4 rebounds in limited playing time. Although his Kentucky career lasted only one season, Payne remains an important figure in program history as the player whose arrival opened the door for generations of African American Wildcats who followed.