Oklahoma basketball great Wayman Tisdale dies

By John Helsley - Staff Writer | Published: May 15, 2009 | Modified: May 16, 2009 at 7:34 am

Wayman Tisdale had a way with making an impression, often initiated with his signature broad smile.

Even in death, Tisdale’s influence seemed to grow through a two-year battle with cancer that ended Friday in Tulsa.

Tisdale, a three-time All-American at Oklahoma who played 12 seasons in the NBA, died about 8 a.m. at St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, hospital spokeswoman Joy McGill said. He was 44.

Considered an OU basketball legend, Tisdale’s personality and talents were praised across college and the NBA and later extended to the jazz world, where he was an award-winning bass player. The past two years, he continued to wear his popular smile during a public battle with cancer that eventually resulted in the amputation of his leg above the right knee.

“Throughout it all, he always had that infectious smile,” said OU basketball coach Jeff Capel. “This is an incredibly sad day as we have lost not only one of the greatest Sooners ever, but one of the all-time best people to walk the face of the earth.”

Tisdale played three seasons at OU, becoming the first player in NCAA history to be named first-team All-America by the Associated Press for his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons from 1983-85. He was also the Big Eight Player of the Year for each of those years.

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