Melvin "Mel" E. Payton was an American professional basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 player. A 6'4 forward, Payton attended college at Tulane University

Tulane University

Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...

. He played four years for the Tulane Green Wave

Tulane Green Wave

Green Wave, the nickname of the sports teams of Tulane University, was adopted during the 1920 season, after a song titled The Rolling Green Wave was published in Tulane's student newspaper in 1920. From 1893 to 1919, the athletic teams of Tulane were known as the Olive and Blue for the official...

, averaging 11.8 points per game. Payton was selected in the second round (19th pick overall) of 1951 NBA Draft

1951 NBA Draft

The 1951 NBA Draft was the fifth annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 25, 1951 before the 1951–52 season. In this draft, ten remaining NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. In each round, the teams select in reverse...

 by the Philadelphia Warriors. He played one season with the Warriors before being traded to the Indianapolis Olympians

Indianapolis Olympians

The Indianapolis Olympians were a National Basketball Association team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. They were founded in 1949 and folded in 1953. Their home arena was the Hinkle Fieldhouse.-Franchise history:...

 in exchange for Don Lofgran

Don Lofgran

Donald "Don" Lofgran was an American basketball player who was a Consensus Second Team All-American in 1950 while at the University of San Francisco...

. Payton played 111 games in his two year career, scoring 595 points, grabbing 396 rebounds

Rebound (basketball)

A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...

, and playing 1,895 minutes.