Sad news from Tulsa, Oklahoma, today: Wayman Tisdale, the three-time All-American Oklahoma Sooner standout, NBA player, and one of the nicest guys around, has died at the age of 44.

The second overall pick in the 1985 NBA draft averaged 15.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game over his career and won a gold medal as a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic "Dream Team." While sports fans know him well from his stints with the Indiana Pacers, the Sacramento Kings (his peak years), and the Phoenix Suns, his retirement blossomed into a very successful career in jazz. The video above is the electronic press kit for his 2006 album, Way Up, where he talks about his musical influences and his one-in-a-lifetime session with Luther Vandross.

Tisdale passed away after a long bout with cancer. He had his leg amputated last August, but was fitted with a prosthetic leg and continued on with his musical career, even going on a musical tour for his newest album, Rebound, starting last month. Accepting an award after his last round of chemotherapy, Tisdale told the audience, "(Music) definitely keeps me going and it gets me by; takes my mind away from everything." Now his music helps others get through the day.

For more on the story, check out ESPN.com's video story.