University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana’s Payton Opens 2019-20 Season Wednesday With NBA's Knicks
10/22/2019 3:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Sixth-year pro led Cajuns to 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball Championships
NEW ORLEANS – Former Louisiana standout Elfrid Payton opens the 2019-20 NBA season as the lone former Sun Belt Conference men's basketball player on the league's active opening-night rosters when the regular season officially tipped off on Tuesday.
Entering his sixth NBA season, Payton is in his first season as a member of the New York Knicks. He signed a two-year deal with the team on July 9 after playing the 2018-19 season with the New Orleans Pelicans. The Knicks open the season Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m. CT on the road against the San Antonio Spurs.
In 42 games last season with the Pelicans, Payton averaged 10.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 7.6 assists. Previously, the former Ragin' Cajun played three full seasons with the Orlando Magic and spent the 2017-18 season with the Magic and Phoenix Suns.
In his three-year career at Louisiana, Payton averaged 14.3 points per game and finished his career as the Ragin' Cajuns all-time leader in steals (197). The New Orleans native finished fifth in school history with 486 assists before being the 10th overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft.
The Sun Belt boasts a trio of alumni roaming the sidelines for the upcoming season. Former Appalachian State star Alvin Gentry enters his fifth season as the Pelicans' head coach and his 17th season as an NBA head coach. The conference also has two alums serving as assistant coaches – UTA's Kaleb Canales (New York Knicks) and South Alabama's Dale Osbourne (Portland Trail Blazers).
This summer, five former Sun Belt standouts saw time in the MGM Grand NBA Summer League 2019 in Las Vegas, headlined by UTA's Kevin Hervey (Oklahoma City Thunder) mentioned twice as a Summer League Standout on NBA.com.
Entering his sixth NBA season, Payton is in his first season as a member of the New York Knicks. He signed a two-year deal with the team on July 9 after playing the 2018-19 season with the New Orleans Pelicans. The Knicks open the season Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m. CT on the road against the San Antonio Spurs.
In 42 games last season with the Pelicans, Payton averaged 10.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 7.6 assists. Previously, the former Ragin' Cajun played three full seasons with the Orlando Magic and spent the 2017-18 season with the Magic and Phoenix Suns.
In his three-year career at Louisiana, Payton averaged 14.3 points per game and finished his career as the Ragin' Cajuns all-time leader in steals (197). The New Orleans native finished fifth in school history with 486 assists before being the 10th overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft.
The Sun Belt boasts a trio of alumni roaming the sidelines for the upcoming season. Former Appalachian State star Alvin Gentry enters his fifth season as the Pelicans' head coach and his 17th season as an NBA head coach. The conference also has two alums serving as assistant coaches – UTA's Kaleb Canales (New York Knicks) and South Alabama's Dale Osbourne (Portland Trail Blazers).
This summer, five former Sun Belt standouts saw time in the MGM Grand NBA Summer League 2019 in Las Vegas, headlined by UTA's Kevin Hervey (Oklahoma City Thunder) mentioned twice as a Summer League Standout on NBA.com.
Year No. 6 in the NBA for @elfrid starts tonight as the @nyknicks open the 2019-20 season in San Antonio. #GeauxCajuns ??#GeauxElfrid ??#NewYorkForever pic.twitter.com/BuAs5IUrUw
— Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns® Men's Basketball (@RaginCajunsMBB) October 23, 2019
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