OKLAHOMA CITY – Members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives honored the memory of OU basketball legend Wayman Tisdale today. “Wayman Tisdale’s athleticism alone would merit him a special place in Oklahoma history, but his contributions went far beyond the basketball court,” said state Rep. Jabar Shumate, D-Tulsa. “He proved himself a great musician and, more importantly, an outstanding ambassador for the state of Oklahoma. His courage when facing cancer remains an inspiration to us all, and it is fitting that we honor his memory today on the floor of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.”
House Resolution 1062, by Shumate, commends “the amazing life and many accomplishments of this outstanding Oklahoma-born athlete, musician and ambassador, the late Wayman Tisdale” and offers lawmakers’ “most sincere condolences to the surviving Tisdale family.”
The resolution was adopted unanimously with all 101 members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives signing on as authors. A copy of the resolution will be given to Tisdale’s wife, Regina.
Tisdale was born in Tulsa, on June 9, 1964. He attended Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa and was named to 1982 McDonald’s All American Team.
He attended the University of Oklahoma and was the first freshman in NCAA Division 1 basketball to be selected a Consensus All American, repeating that feat in his sophomore and junior seasons.
During his college years, Tisdale owned the OU school career records for points, rebounds, field goals, field goal percentage, free throws and free throw attempts; he led the league in scoring all three years and became just the 10th player in NCAA history to reach 2,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds.
Tisdale also holds the record for most points in a single game at OU with 61 against University of Texas at San Antonio during his sophomore season.
He was the second pick of the 1985 NBA draft by Indiana Pacers and went on to play 12 seasons in the NBA.
