Wayman Tisdale, 1964-2009

 That sucks. He was sweet man. I went to elementary school with his daughter. He played horse with us second graders. Tisdale kept it close but would always win on the reverse dunk. Us Sacramentans were lucky to have him as a part of the community.

And yes, fuck cancer. Seriously.

He was a great man with a great heart who succeeded on and off the basketball court. My sister and his oldest daughter played on the same soccer team in Sacramento and our families would cross paths in the neighborhood. My parents also went to OU so they’d chat about that all the time too. He was a classy guy and I will always remember his Tizzy Flips. I too agree with dalt99 about #23 armbands or patches for next season. I suspect they will honor him somehow, he was too big of a fan favorite not to. He had his best seasons in Sacramento and those players, no matter how bad the team sucked, always seemed to hold a special place in the hearts of the fans. By the looks of things, reading some of these posts, it sounds like they still do. I hope Reynolds and Gerould and all the ones from back then get together and reminisce. He will definitely be missed, not only as a basketball player but as a human being too. I live in Phoenix now so I’m hearing both the Sac and Phx eras of him. For once, I understand and can feel for the Suns fans too (sorry, I’m a Kings fan through and through, so it’s rare I empathize with them, lol). RIP Wayman, cancer sucks, and my thoughts and my family’s thoughts are with your family.

Kings should send Tizzy’s wife, Regina, to represent the Kings at the draft lottery…i know C-Webb is scheduled to do it, but i think it would be a classy move and allow the League to honor Wayman during that event.

I hope Fred Anderson does the intro.

I just read a story that Blake Griffin asked Wayman if he could wear his retired number at OU out of respect for him and his game. Classy move by the Kid towards a classy guy.

I saw the ESPN show, what a classy guy. I knew he had lost his leg but I had no idea his cancer was that severe so this comes as a real shock. I lost my dad to cancer and my wife had bad breast cancer but praise God, she has survived 7 years. Cancer is a bitch, f it.

Wayman was a total pro as an athlete and as a musician. He wasn’t just an athlete who could play music. He played music at the same level he played basketball, a real player.

Has Wayman’s jersey been retired? If not maybe next year.

Almost 12 hours after the news broke, and 12 hours since the tears started to flow, it still sucks. If there’s anything to remember, it’s that he’s had 2 careers. He had a 12 year NBA career and then an 8-LP music career (spanning at least 13 years, first album was released in ‘95, right? but don’t forget that Kings single that was released in the early 90s! :)). And of course he had his family which one could say was a 3rd career. Although he only lived 44 short years, he’s accomplished what most people never will even if they live to be twice his age. If we could only be so lucky to have had his life. Even in this day of tragic sadness, that makes me smile. He still makes me smile. :)

Are fans showing up at Arco to reminisce and mourn? Just curious.

I was a kid growing up when the Kings could barely win 12 games a year, yet remember Arco filled to the brim. Ainge, Simmons, Tisdale, even Travis Mays for a year. Those were my favorite times as a basketball fan. When I was 9 Tisdale showed up to our gym to speak with the local YMCA kids who played ball, about the importance of staying out of trouble and driving to achieve your goals. He had a big cast on his leg because he was hurt, and missed a significant portion of the year. At 9 years old, the man was the biggest thing on earth to me. Yet he was the most inviting person you could ever meet. He was my favorite, and I got to shake his hand. Some men you grow up wanting to be like because of their athletic ability. This man makes you want to be a better person. He is what Idols idolize. Gone from our earth, but not our hearts 23. God bless you.