Walt Wesley was a 10-year NBA veteran and a star player with the University of Kansas Jayhawks.
- Died: March 28, 2024 (Who else died on March 28?)
- Details of death: Died at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa of leukemia at the age of 79.
- We invite you to share condolences for Walt Wesley in our Guest Book.
Walt Wesley’s legacy
When Wesley was a young player in high school, his opportunities to be recruited by a top college were limited because many of the best schools in the country refused to recruit Black players. He was able to prove himself when the University of Kansas gave him a chance. As a Kansas Jawhawk, Wesley was a dominant center and a two-time All-American selection. In 1965-66, he helped lead the team to a Big 8 championship. His number was retired by the team in 2004.
Wesley was drafted by the NBA’s Cincinnati Royals – he became the first ever NBA player from Fort Myers in the process – and spent 10 seasons in the league, also playing with the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, and several other teams. In 1970-’71, he led the Cavs in both points and rebounds per game. His best game arguably came on February 19, 1971, when he scored 50 points against his former team, the Royals.
Wesley went into coaching after retiring from the NBA, serving as an assistant coach for the University of Kansas, Western Michigan University, and at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He is in the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame, Kansas Hall of Fame, University of Kansas Hall of Fame, and National High School Basketball Hall of Fame.
On Black players not being recruited by top colleges:
“It’s not that we weren’t capable, or good enough academically. We just weren’t recruited. There was a segregated system, and it was tough. Fortunately, I was recruited by several schools out of the Midwest and that’s where I chose to go.”—Interview with Fort Myers News-Press, 2008
Tributes to Walt Wesley
Full obituary: Fort Myers News-Press
