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Former LSU Tigers star Wayne Sims passed away at the age of 54 on Wednesday. The university announced Sims' passing, but the cause of his death was not revealed. He played for the Tigers from 1987 to 1991, helping them qualify for the NCAA tournament four times.
"Big Daddy" was teammates with future NBA stars such as Shaquille O'Neal and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. He played 117 games for LSU, starting 74 of them. He averaged 9.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game during his collegiate career.
"He brought the best out in players, and everyone liked him," former LSU head coach Dale Brown said in a statement. "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 to our team."
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Who was Wayne Sims?
Wayne Sims was born and raised in Derrider, Louisiana. He attended Deridder High School and was a two-time All-Star selection. Sims was ranked 24th in the nation in the class of 1986 during his senior career, averaging 21.9 points and 9.0 rebounds, as per the LSU Tigers.
Sims is survived by his wife, Fay Sims. The couple had one son together, Wayde Sims, who played two seasons for LSU from 2016 to 2018. His career and life were cut short after he was fatally shot during an off-campus altercation before the start of the 2018-19 season.
The suspect, Dyteon Simpson, was convicted of second-degree murder last year and was sentenced to life in prison. Wayne and Fay set up the Baton Rouge-based Wayde Sims Foundation in memory of their son.
Shaquille O'Neal loved Wayne Sims
Shaquille O'Neal played with Wayne Sims from 1989 to 1981. They helped the LSU Tigers win the SEC regular season championship in 1990. The news of Sims' passing devastated O'Neal, who called their former coach Dale Brown after hearing it.
"To give you an idea of how loved he was, one of the very first calls I got today was from Shaq," Brown said in a statement. "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."
