Friday Quickies: Life Without Kenny Payne Edition

Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports It’s rare that you see an assistant coach in college basketball receive a pay check the size of Kenny Payne’s during his time at Kentucky. But Kenny Payne was also a rare type of coach. He was so much more than just a regular assistant.

He had a grip on the locker room similar to head coach John Calipari. He was the calming voice & perfect smile on the bench that brought balance to the most heated moments. He knows the game of basketball as well as anyone and had the trust of every Wildcat that came to the University of Kentucky.

Last summer, Payne left Kentucky to take an assistant position under Tom Thibodeau with the New York Knicks. In addition to his…