Wayman Tisdale passed away - RIP

[suave1477]

Former Oklahoma great Tisdale dies at 44

Wayman Tisdale, a three-time All-American at Oklahoma who played 12 seasons in the NBA, died after a two-year battle with cancer. He was 44.
Tisdale died Friday morning at St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, hospital spokeswoman Joy McGill said.
He learned of a cancerous cyst below his right knee after breaking his leg in a fall at his home in Los Angeles on Feb. 8, 2007. His leg was amputated last August. He made several public appearances since, including April 7 at an Oklahoma City Thunder game.
Tisdale, a 6-foot-9 forward from Tulsa with a soft left-handed touch, played in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns. He averaged 15.3 points for his career. He was on the U.S. team that won the gold medal in the 1984 Olympics.

After his basketball career, he became an award-winning jazz musician, with several albums making the top 10 on the Billboard charts. Last month, he was chosen for induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
Tisdale’s death was announced on the Oklahoma Senate floor Friday by Senate Majority Leader Todd Lamb, who led the chamber in prayer.
“Whether you’re a Cowboy or a Sooner, Oklahoma has lost a great ambassador,” Lamb said. “He was a gifted musician, a gifted athlete and he just wore that well wherever he went.”
Tisdale was the first freshman to be a first-team All-American since freshmen were allowed to play again in 1971-72.
He was also one of 10 three-time All-Americans: The others were Oscar Robertson, Bill Walton, Lew Alcindor, Pete Maravich, Patrick Ewing, Tom Gola, Jerry Lucas, David Thompson and Ralph Sampson. Ewing and Tisdale were the last to accomplish the feat, from 1983-85.
Tisdale played on an Olympic team that sailed to the gold medal in Los Angeles, winning its game by 32 points. The squad was coached by Bob Knight and featured the likes of Ewing, Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins and Chris Mullin.
Tisdale averaged 25.6 points and 10.1 rebounds during his three seasons with the Sooners, earning Big Eight Conference player of the year each season.
He still holds Oklahoma’s career scoring record with 2,661 points and career rebounding record with 1,048. Tisdale also owns the school’s single-game scoring mark, a 61-point outing against Texas-San Antonio as a sophomore, along with career records in points per game, field goals and free throws made and attempts.

[both-teams-played-hard]

Life is short, folks. Stay close to the people that you really care about.

[byergo]

Deepest sympathies from a MIZZOU fan who remembers watching this all time great of the Big 8 (now Big XII) conference. He was truly deserving of his HOF nod.

[DrJ]

RIP Wayman. My wife passed away at age 38 from Sarcoma, it will be one month tomorrow. It is one of those cancers that is not spoken about as much as the others, but more research is needed.

Life indeed is short, enjoy your family. My daughter is 6 and I can tell you nothing will ever take a higher priority than her - my work/life balance just swung more toward LIFE.

Take care everyone.

[cordovacollector]

RIP Wayman. My wife passed away at age 38 from Sarcoma, it will be one month tomorrow. It is one of those cancers that is not spoken about as much as the others, but more research is needed.

Life indeed is short, enjoy your family. My daughter is 6 and I can tell you nothing will ever take a higher priority than her - my work/life balance just swung more toward LIFE.

Take care everyone.

DrJ ~

Your post gave me chills. Indeed sarcoma needs more of the research money. I'll send my next donation to them in your wife's memory (feel free to email me her first name). I'm giving breast cancer a run for its money. My three-year anniversary is Monday.

Give that 6-year old beauty and joy of your life a hug from the GU forum. There are many of us who understand those priorities of LIFE.

My deepest condolences to you and your daughter.

And yes, RIP, Wayman.

[trsent]

Some pretty interesting articles about Wayman Tisdale today. I didn't know how great of a guy he was until today:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/column...ark&id=4170151

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/...n-Tisdale.html

[kneerat]

I've seen him four times in concert.... his album was the first smooth jazz album I ever bought. Now I am a huge smooth jazz fan because of Wayman... RIP Wayman