Wayman Tisdale dies at 44

TULSA, Okla. (AP)—Former Oklahoma star and NBA player Wayman Tisdale has died at 44 after fighting cancer the past two years.
St. John Medical Center in Tulsa says he died Friday morning.
The 6-foot-9 forward from Tulsa was a three-time All-American for Oklahoma. He spent 12 seasons in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns.
He first learned he had a cancerous cyst below his right knee after he broke his leg in a fall at his home in Los Angeles in 2007. His leg was amputated last August, but he had made several public appearances since.






RIP. Tisdale was really a smooth player. A great musician as well.

sad and fucked up....those billy tubbs oklahoma teams routinely put nba scores ...fun team to watch....

Wayman Tisdale was a true class act and passed way too soon.

"He's one of the best human beings I've ever been around in my entire life."
— Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel

A noted musician, Tisdale played at a charity event during the All-Star weekend in February.


After Tisdale's playing career — which included being a three-time All-American at Oklahoma and 12 seasons in the NBA, he became an accomplished musician.
He found out he had cancer after breaking his leg in a fall in his home in Los Angeles in 2007. He had the leg amputated last summer, but continued to make public and also perform shows.

RIP Waymon Tisdale..

That sucks. First pro game I ever went to was at the Garden vs. the Pacers.

Wayman was just making a name for himself at that time.

class act all the way, what a shame more professional athlete's aren't like him. The guy was an absolute beast in college and those Oklahoma teams of the mid to late eighties were great to watch(Tisdale, Choo Kennedy, Dave Sieger, Tim McCallister, Stacey King, Ricky Grace). RIP Wayman.

That's too bad, he was a really good guy. I used to work in a music store and he came in a few times. He was always smiling and nice to everyone in the store.

This guy always kept a smile on his face. RIP

Sad news. I was just listening to his music the other day.

He will be sorely missed by many people.

enjoyed his years with the Pacers....really hated to hear this...very young to have this happen and leaves a wife and kids behind...


R.I.P. ...WT

He was one of the most loved athletes ever here in Oklahoma. The nicest and most generous sports figure that i've ever met. A class act all the way.. He will be missed.

:>(CANCER!!

I hope I get to see this shit cured in my time. Hits home with a wife who is in remission. Checkups for the rest of our lives in fear of it coming back.

too young for this to happen to great star and person

Kinda strange as here in San Diego during the Padres telecasts, they have been promoting a jazz concert next weekend that has Tisdale as one of the featured performers. The commercial has been airing several times during the game for the last few games.

I understand the commercial was made before he died, but you would think they would ask the station to edit it or submit a re-edited version, or even a disclaimer at the bottom of the screen.

The station here in San Diego is KIFM 98.1.

The advertise themselves as Smooth Jazz, unfortunately, this one wasn't so smooth.

Thousands turn out to mourn Wayman Tisdale.

TULSA, Okla. (AP)—With his casket carried in a horse-drawn carriage, Wayman Tisdale was remembered Thursday as a basketball star and gifted musician by thousands of mourners swaying to gospel tunes.

The body of the former Oklahoma All-American traveled three miles from the funeral home to the downtown arena.

About 4,000 people, including former NBA players, pop musicians and former coaches, attended the memorial. There was live jazz music, clapping and shouting in honor of the man who died last week at 44 after a long battle with cancer.

“Wayman lived a blessed life,” said Billy Tubbs, Tisdale’s former Oklahoma coach. “He did more in his 44 years than most people can do in 88 years.”
Pallbearers stepped to the beat of jazz music played on stage by Tisdale’s band. Leading the pallbearers was a man wearing white gloves and holding a basketball above his head as he marched to the stage in step with the music. He placed the ball on a stand on the stage, and the casket followed.


Tisdale, a 6-foot-9 forward, played 12 seasons in the NBA for the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns. Former NBA players Charles Smith, Rory Sparrow and John Starks paid tribute Thursday. A.C. Green, a minister and ex-NBA player, spoke early in the service.

“He, in my opinion, was the first athlete to really put Tulsa on the map,” said Starks, also from Tulsa. “Wayman was a person I looked up to.”
Country music star and fellow Oklahoman Toby Keith played the Willie Nelson tune, “Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground.” He said he had written a song about Tisdale, but that he wouldn’t be performing it given the emotion of the day.

“We had so many big plans,” Keith told mourners. “Every time I tried to say goodbye to him, he never let me.”

Tisdale recorded eight albums. A bass guitarist who often wrote his own material, his most recent album, “Rebound,” was inspired by his fight with cancer and included guest appearances by several artists, including saxophonist Dave Koz and Keith.

His “Way Up!” release debuted in July 2006 and spent four weeks as the No. 1 contemporary jazz album. His hits included “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now,” “Can’t Hide Love” and “Don’t Take Your Love Away.”

Jazz musician Dave Koz worked on three of Tisdale’s albums. He ticked off a list of things about his friend: “that big, bald head, goofy laughs, those big, huge feet with those basketball toes, those big bites he took out of life and his sandwiches.”

Musician Marcus Miller said Tisdale never let a wall come between him and his fans.

“I’ve seen Wayman signing autographs with a chicken wing in one hand in the middle of dinner,” Miller cracked.

A day earlier, hundreds of mourners packed a small church to pay respects. Some waited more than two hours in line to catch a glimpse of the open casket.

Tisdale’s high school classmate Lisa Miles fought back tears while explaining why she came Thursday.

“He was a big teddy bear,” Miles said. “Always there to hug you, always had a good word to say. He was a beautiful man.”

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