GreekChat.com Forums - Wayman Tisdale, NBA Player, Jazz Musician, dead at 44

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4168852

Wayman Tisdale, the legendary Oklahoma Sooner who this year was elected to the College Basketball Hall of Fame, died Friday morning. He was 44.

Tisdale died at St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, Okla. His passing was confirmed by the University of Oklahoma.

A 6-foot-9 forward and three-time All-American at Oklahoma, Tisdale lost his right leg to bone cancer last year. The cancer was discovered when doctors were repairing his leg, which he broke after falling down stairs in his home in Los Angeles.

It was determined, then, that the the best course of treatment was amputation just above the knee.

Tisdale was a collegiate star at Oklahoma, where he averaged 25.6 points and 10.1 rebounds during his three-year career.

He played 12 seasons in the NBA, averaging 15.3 points and 6.1 rebounds in 840 games with the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, retiring in 1997. His best season came in 1989-90 with Sacramento, where he averaged 22.3 points and 7.5 rebounds.

Tisdale also was an accomplished bass guitar player. He recorded eight jazz albums, performed on worldwide tours and collaborated with artists like country music star Toby Keith.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.