Wayne Sims, former LSU basketball player and father of slain star player, dies unexpectedly

Wayne Sims, former LSU basketball player and father of slain star player, dies unexpectedly
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Former LSU basketball player Wayne Sims, a rugged forward who played in four NCAA tournaments, died unexpectedly early Wednesday morning, multiple sources said.

Sims, 54, was a four-year standout under coach Dale Brown from 1987-91 and is one of just nine Tigers to participate in four NCAA tournaments.

The 6-foot-7, 270-pound Sims, who was nicknamed “Big Daddy,” was known for his physical play under the basket. But he also was a big contributor on the offensive end as a scorer and passer when needed.

Sims’ death came 4½ years after his son, Wayde, was shot and killed during a fight following a party. Dayteon Simpson, who was convicted of second-degree murder a year ago Tuesday, died in prison last summer.

Wayde Sims played two seasons at LSU before being killed early on the morning of the Tigers’ first preseason practice in September 2018.

The elder Sims, a cousin of former LSU coach and player Johnny Jones, finished his collegiate career averaging 9.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots in 117 games with 74 starts.

His sophomore season was his best in an LSU uniform as he averaged 13.3 points and 7.6 rebounds in starting all 32 games.

That season, the affable and easygoing Sims was the team’s third-leading scorer as Chris Jackson (now Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf) and Ricky Blanton combined to score 50.5 points a game.

Known for his soft shooting touch around the basket, Sims was also an able and willing sharer of the ball for a big man with 144 career assists and an average of 1.2 a game.

In addition to Abdul-Rauf and Blanton, Sims played alongside Shaquille O’Neal and Stanley Roberts. In 1991, O’Neal and Sims helped the Tigers claim the Southeastern Conference regular-season title.

With 1,107 career points and 603 rebounds, Sims ranks 21st on the school’s all-time 1,000-500 list in those two categories.

Wayne Sims, a 1986 graduate of DeRidder High School, later played professional basketball in South America.

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Mary founded Scoop Tour with an aim to bring relevant and unaltered news to the general public with a specific view point for each story catered by the team. She is a proficient journalist who holds a reputable portfolio with proficiency in content analysis and research. With ample knowledge about the Automobile industry, she also contributes her knowledge for the Automobile section of the website.

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