Wayman Tisdale, good-natured hoops star, dies at 44

Wherever Wayman Tisdale went, whatever he was doing, chances were he was smiling.

He was a three-time all-American at Oklahoma in the mid-1980s before playing a dozen years in the NBA and later becoming an accomplished jazz musician.

But those who knew Mr. Tisdale, who died yesterday at a hospital in his hometown of Tulsa, Okla., recalled not only his professional gifts but also a sunny outlook, even in the face of a two-year battle with cancer that took his life at 44.

"I don't know of any athlete at Oklahoma or anyplace else who was more loved by the fans who knew him than Wayman Tisdale," said Billy Tubbs, who coached Mr. Tisdale with the Sooners. "He was obviously a great, great player, but Wayman as a person overshadowed that. He just lit up a room and was so positive."

After three years at Oklahoma, Mr. Tisdale played in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns. The 6-foot-9 forward with a soft lefthanded touch averaged 15.3 points for his career. He was on the U.S. team that won the gold medal at the 1984 Olympics, in Los Angeles.

Gov. Brad Henry attended Oklahoma at the same time Mr. Tisdale did and later appointed him to the state's Tourism Commission.

"Oklahoma has lost one of its most beloved sons," Henry said.

Mr. Tisdale learned he had a cancerous cyst below his right knee after breaking his leg in a fall on Feb. 8, 2007, at his home in Los Angeles. He said then that he was fortunate to have discovered the cancer early.

"Nothing can change me," Mr. Tisdale told the Associated Press last June. "You go through things. You don't change because things come in your life. You get better because things come in your life."

His leg was amputated in August, and a prosthetic leg that he wore was crimson, one of Oklahoma's colors.

He recently told the Tulsa television station KTUL that he had acute esophagitis, which prevented him from eating for about five weeks and led to significant weight loss. Among the causes of that condition are infections, medications, radiation therapy, and systemic disease.

Last month, Mr. Tisdale was chosen for induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

He was the first freshman to be a first-team all-American since freshmen were allowed to play again in the 1971-72 season. He also was one of 10 three-time all-Americans.

A bass guitarist who often wrote his own material, Mr. Tisdale recorded eight albums. The most recent one, Rebound, was inspired by his fight with cancer.

Mr. Tisdale averaged 25.6 points and 10.1 rebounds in his three seasons with the Sooners, and was the Big Eight Conference's player of the year each season.

He holds Oklahoma's career records for points and rebounds. Mr. Tisdale also owns the school's single-game scoring mark - 61 points against Texas-San Antonio as a sophomore.

Mr. Tisdale is survived by his wife, Regina, and four children.