June 9 marks Wayman Tisdale Day in honor of Tisdale's birthday.
Wayman Tisdale graduated from Booker T. Washington and became a two-time All-American player at the University of Oklahoma.
In 1984, Tisdale played with Team USA in the Olympic Games for men’s basketball. Coached by Bobby Knight, Tisdale averaged nearly nine points and six rebounds per game. Team USA claimed a perfect 8-0 to claim the gold medal.
Tisdale returned to Norman for one more all-American season before embarking on a 12-year career in the NBA. He played with the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, according to ESPN.
Wayman Tisdale went on to become a jazz musician. According to ESPN, the jazz bass guitarist recorded eight albums. His album, "Rebound" included guest appearances by Toby Keith and saxophonist Dave Koz.
In 2007, according to ESPN, Tisdale found a cancerous cyst about his knee, resulting in his leg being amputated. Tisdale wore a crimson prosthetic leg.
In 2009, Tisdale lost his two -year battle to cancer at the age of 44. He was survived by his wife, Regina and four children.
Tuesday, June 9, 2020 is the fourth Wayman Tisdale celebration. The event begins at 8 p.m. and is raising funds for the Wayman Tisdale Foundation.
The Wayman Tisdale Foundation helps people with unmet prosthetic needs pay for prosthetic care. 'Wayman's Way,' a new initiative, provides resources to help others with positive lifestyles and preventative health care. 'Wayman's Way' emphasizes on childhood health education, nutrition awareness and overall health and wellness.
The foundation is dedicated to helping people live their lives to the fullest.
That means having fun, flashing a smile, and doing things “Wayman’s Way.”
The celebration will be live streamed on the Wayman Tisdale Foundation Facebook page and will include guest appearances by:
- Pastor Mike Todd
- Toby Keith
- Kathy Taylor
- Blake Griffin
- AC Green
- Charles Barkley
- and more!
More information on the event can be found here.
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