Walt Wesley

Walter Ivory Wesley (January 25, 1945 – March 28, 2024) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks.

Early life Wesley grew up in Fort Myers, Florida, the son of Leroy and Josie Wesley. He attended Dunbar High School in Fort Myers.

College career The top university basketball programs weren't yet recruiting African-American players, but Wesley was recruited by programs in the Midwest. Wesley was quoted, "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."

In his senior season of 1965–66, Wesley averaged 20.7 ppg and a career-best 9.3 rpg as the Jayhawks won the Big 8 championship and were 23–4 overall. In the postseason, Wesley unwittingly found himself in a position that one day inspired the movie Glory Road. and would go on to win the title. The banners display the player's surname over his/her number, but the numbers themselves are reused.

College statistics

NBA career Wesley was chosen in the first round (sixth overall) of the 1966 NBA draft by the Cincinnati Royals.

In his rookie season as a backup center, Wesley played 14 minutes per game, averaging 4.9 ppg and 5.1 rpg. During the 1967–68 and 1968–69 seasons, his playing time and stat line remained about the same, although by his third season his scoring had risen to 7.6 ppg, a season in which he played in all 82 games.

He was traded from the Royals to the Bulls for Norm Van Lier in a three-team trade that also involved the Atlanta Hawks on 12 October 1969. His playing time rose to 19.5 minutes per game, and career bests of 9.5 ppg and 6.3 rpg. In the 125–109 Cavaliers win, Wesley poured in 20 field goals and was 10-for-14 from the free throw line.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Personal life After retiring from the NBA, Wesley served as an assistant coach at the University of Kansas, Western Michigan University, and at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Wesley's jersey was retired by the University of Kansas and Dunbar High School. He was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame, Kansas Hall of Fame, University of Kansas Hall Of Fame, National High School Basketball Hall of Fame, Court of Legends, and the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches. He also received the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity "Jessie Owens Award of Excellence" for athletic and philanthropic accomplishments, awarded at the 104th Anniversary Convention of Alpha Phi Alpha, Las Vegas, Nevada in July 2010.

In October 2018, Wesley was honored as the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra led by Wynton Marsalis, was commissioned by the Lied Center of Kansas to create a new work honoring 15 KU Basketball Legends. The movement created for Walt was "Walt's Waltz".

Wesley died of leukemia at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa, Florida, on March 28, 2024, at the age of 79.