Former NBA great and jazz musician Wayman Tisdale has lost his battle with cancer. The 44-year-old Oklahoma native died Friday morning after a two-year struggle to control the disease.
Last summer he had his right leg amputated, and at the time, he thought he had put the deadly disease behind him. He was ready to go ahead and start a new life.
The 6-foot-9 power forward averaged 15.2 points and 6.4 rebounds a game in his four years with the Indiana Pacers, and helped them into the playoffs in the 1986-87 season. He went on to play eight more years in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, finishing with career per-game averages of 15.3 points and 6.1 rebounds.
He was a three-time first-team All-American at Oklahoma and helped the United States to a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics, playing with Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing on a team coached by Bob Knight.
After his retirement from the NBA in 1997, Tisdale returned to his first love – music – and enjoyed a successful career as a bass guitarist, recording eight jazz albums and performing worldwide. His career was cut short by the bone cancer.
Source: BET.com
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My mom bought me his CD for fathers day last year and it really turned my attention too jazz music and widen my musical interest.