Wayne Sims, who played in four NCAA tournaments with LSU from 1987-91, died Wednesday at age 54. Let’s see more details about Wayne Sims and his obituary.
What happened to Wayne Sims?
Former LSU basketball star Wayne Sims passed away on Wednesday, the school announced. He was 54. Ricky Blanton, Wayne Sims’ former teammate, said he was saddened by the news.
“I was very sad to hear of the passing of my good friend, Wayne Sims. He was a great teammate and an even better person. If you knew Wayne, you could not help but be embraced by his extreme kindness. He will be missed by everyone who knew him.”
Cause of death
Sims passed away naturally on Wednesday morning after fainting at work, according to WBRZ 2 in Baton Rouge. He is the father of the late Wayde Sims, a former Tigers player who was shot and killed during a concert in 2018. The Wayde Sims Foundation was established by Wayne and his wife Fay, and since Wayde’s passing, it has raised a sizable sum of money for initiatives in the Baton Rouge region.
Louis Glasper Posted
I’m so sad to report that Wayne Sims passed away at 54! He was one of the greatest basketball players from LSU! He can now rest with his son! RIP Greatness!
Career Journey
Sims helped lead the Tigers to NCAA Tournament appearances in all four of his seasons in Baton Rouge, making him one of only nine athletes in school history to play in four NCAA events. He also led the team to an SEC title during his senior year in 1991. Sims hailed from Deridder, Louisiana, and came to LSU after attending Deridder High School. He was a two-time All-State selection at Deridder, averaging 21.9 points and nine rebounds as a senior. He was ranked No. 24 among the nation’s Top 100 seniors by Cage Scope in 1986.
Sims’ coach at LSU was Dale Brown, and his teammates included Shaquille O’Neal, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, and Vernel Singleton. During Sims’ senior season, LSU won the Southeastern Conference championship. “He brought the best out in players, and everyone liked him,” Brown said. “He was a team player — didn’t get the credit maybe he deserved for the great run they had, but he was a wonderful person.
Baton Rouge-based Wayde Sims Foundation
Following their son’s death, Wayne Sims and his wife, Fay, set up the Baton Rouge-based Wayde Sims Foundation. “He and Fay worked tirelessly to keep Wayde’s memory alive,” said McNeese State coach Will Wade, who was Wayde Sims’ coach at LSU. “I’ll never forget Wayne and Fay saying that God will find a way to save lives through Wayde’s death.”
Wayne Sims, listed at 6-foot-7, 247 pounds during his playing days, appeared in 117 games for LSU, starting 74, scoring 1,107 career points and grabbing 603 rebounds. He is one of 21 LSU players to reach 1,000 career points and 500 rebounds, and one of nine players in program history to appear in four NCAA Tournaments.
Sims scored 24 points in one of LSU’s most memorable upset victories, an 82-80 triumph over No. 2 Georgetown on Jan. 28, 1989 — a game played in the Superdome in New Orleans in front of a crowd of 54,321. Sims grew up in Deridder, Louisiana, and was a two-time All-State selection at Deridder High School, where he averaged 21.9 points and nine rebounds as a senior.
Obituary
“Wayne was always yes sir, no sir. He had a good sense of humor. Sims brought the best out in players, and everyone liked him. He was a team player. Didn’t get the credit maybe he deserved for the great run they had, but he was a wonderful person … He was never a flashy guy that needed stardom, but he was the base of our team. He loved and embraced everybody. I think the biggest thing about him, we had a shy 6’9′ kid from North Dakota, Richard Krajewski, who stayed with us all four years and graduated. Wayne and he became inseparable, Wayne made him feel at home.
Nothing was flashy, but Wayne was very solid. To give you an idea of how loved he was, one of the very first calls I got today was from Shaq. He was all broken up because he loved Wayne so much. I don’t know anybody that didn’t love Wayne Sims. Walk-ons and some of the best stars have all called me. He was loved by everybody.”
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