Sometimes there are stories that make you realise that basketball isn’t the most important thing in the world, and this is one of them.

Michigan State star Adreian Payne met Lacey Holsworth on one of MSU’s trip to a local hospital. Lacey has been stricken by cancer and they instantly hit it off.
She asked him to stick around and so he did, and now he describes her as a sister and she looks up to him like a brother.

“Adreian’s my brother. I just think of him and I smile,” said Lacey.
“She’s taught me to fight through everything, to always continue to have a smile on my face, even when things are going wrong,” Adreian answered when asked what he has learnt from her.

Lacey is in and out of hospital and it is Adreian who is the one who brings sunshine to her life. He bought her a stuffed toy which she takes everywhere.
‘AP’ makes her feel protected and comforted, giving her hope during the tough days.“Lacey will forever be a part of my life, she’s fighting something and you give her strength to get through it. You can keep her living and keep her spirits high,” continued Adreian.Adreian describes his time at Michigan State as a roller coaster, and chose Lacey to accompany him out on the court on Senior night.

Tell Adreian something you want him to know before he leaves Michigan State, Lacey was asked.

“That I think of him all the time and I love him,” she responded.

Watch their touching story below and try not to choke up: