Philadelphia 76ers point guard Cameron Payne made news last month when it was reported that he was arrested and jailed in Arizona after denying police officers' request to give them his real name, instead providing the authorities with a made-up identity. Now, it's been revealed that the fake name he used before his arrest was “Terry Johnson,” (h/t TMZ Sports).
Officers wrote in the docs that all they needed to wrap up their investigation was Payne's name and date of birth — but that's when they say the Philadelphia 76ers guard stopped cooperating.
They say for minutes, Payne would not tell them who he was … insisting he was actually “Terry Johnson.” When they told him they believed he was lying and would need to arrest him if he continued to be dishonest, they say he told them, “That's fine.”
Payne's trouble started when he dialed 911 amid a verbal argument with his girlfriend on the morning of June 14. Once the cops showed up, Payne and his girlfriend had apparently already smoothened things out. The officers were said to be ready to leave and needed just some information from Payne to finish their visit. However, the veteran NBA guard refused to cooperate and instead told them that his name was Terry Johnson. That ultimately led to his arrest. He was also charged with a count of refusal to provide a truthful name and another count of false report to law enforcement. Payne was later released by the police.
Perhaps Payne was merely making an effort to prevent his name from potentially going public after a visit from the police. That said, he could have saved himself from bigger troubles — like getting booked and jailed — if he only provided his real name. This looks like a case of bad judgment on the part of Payne. He has not spoken about the arrest and the incident since.
Payne played for the Milwaukee Bucks and the 76ers during the 2023-24 NBA season. He was traded by the Bucks before the deadline last February to Philadelphia along with a 2027 second-round pick in exchange for Patrick Beverley. In 31 games with Philadelphia, the former Murray State Racers star averaged 9.3 points and 3.1 assists while shooting only 41.3 percent from the field. He was a decent 38.1 percent shooter from deep, however.
He started his NBA career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, who took him in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft. Payne also had stops with the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Phoenix Suns.
Social media reacts to 76ers guard's use of fake name and arrest
NBA fans online can't help themselves but make all sorts of fun about Payne's use of Terry Johnson.
“Terry Johnson catching stray for no reason”
“Cam Payne will forever be known to me as Terry Johnson”
“He should have gone by his initials: DNP-CD”
“he should’ve said his name was “Chet Holmgren””
“FREE TERRY JOHNSON BRO AINT EVEN DO NOTHIN”
“Need a Terry Johnson jersey STAT”
“Not only should he be set free, but the arresting officers should be suspended without pay effective immediately. Insane abuse of power & most likely racial profiling. A lawsuit should also be on the table.”
“Should have said Dwayne Johnson and then continued with..”
“See this become a meme when he drops a stinker😂”
“He does look like a Terry Jonhson to be fair 😂”
“Is there a “Terry Johnson” PG being linked to Suns in Free Agency? Can someone check? 👀”
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