INDIANAPOLIS — As the Indiana Pacers face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, Wayman Tisdale’s family reflects on the storied basketball career of the late player, who was the second overall pick in the 1985 draft.
Wayman Tisdale played for the Pacers from 1985 until 1990, and his impact on the game is still felt today.
"Reggie [Miller] was my father's rookie," Danielle Tisdale, Wayman’s daughter, shared, recalling the transition of having a new player on the team.
“They gave Reggie a hard time about it—‘Can you do it better than your sister?’ Regina Tisdale, Wayman’s widow, said.”
Tisdale, raised in Oklahoma, often blended the roles of father and athlete. In his family's eyes, basketball was just his job—never a grand spectacle.
“Even when he was playing basketball, it still felt like my dad going to work,” Tiffany Tisdale, Wayman’s daughter, said.
His family is torn between supporting the Pacers and honoring their roots in Oklahoma. They remember a poignant moment when Tisdale, who was battling cancer at the time, predicted there would be an NBA team in Oklahoma City.
“I remember us being in a box with the late David Stern," Regina recalled. "Wayman was in a cast, and he said, 'I can't see why there won’t be a team in Oklahoma City. Look at these fans—they are crazy.'”
Wayman Tisdale passed away from cancer in 2009, but he left behind more than his basketball legacy. He found success as a musician, recording several albums before his death.
“The transition was nice because we all had songs, and mine was the most popular one,” Gabrielle Tisdale, Wayman’s daughter, said, celebrating the artistic side of the Tisdale legacy.
As the finals progress, the family emphasizes their desire to keep Tisdale's legacy alive. “We don’t want his legacy to fade away,” His widow said. acknowledging how much this series would have meant to him.
The Pacers play the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 on Friday, June 13, at 8:30 p.m. on WRTV.
