Walt Wesley, former Kansas basketball star who played during 1960s, dies at age 79
LAWRENCE — Former Kansas basketball star Walt Wesley died this week at the age of 79, according to a KU Athletics release.
Wesley played for the Jayhawks during the 1960s, first for Dick Harp and then for Ted Owens. While at KU, Wesley twice earned consensus All-America honors. His jersey, No. 13, was retired on Dec. 18, 2004.
“Walt Wesley is one of the finest men I have ever known,” Owens said in the release. “He was so loved by his teammates and coaches. He was just an extraordinary man. He came to Kansas and worked so hard to develop into the great player that he was. He loved the University of Kansas and loved being a part of Kansas basketball. He touched all of our lives. I can’t say enough about Walt. He was so loved by his teammates.”
The KU release outlined Wesley, who has earned a number of hall of fame honors, had been battling leukemia in recent years. As he passed Thursday, according to Owens, Wesley was holding the hand of his wife Denise. Wesley was also able to speak with Owens and a couple of former teammates, Riney Lochmann and Al Lopes, earlier in the week.
Wesley’s career at Kansas, which included conference success, led to being selected as a top-10 pick in the 1966 NBA draft. He went on to enjoy a lengthy playing career. After his career in professional basketball came to an end, he also coached collegiately at KU and elsewhere.
“No one loved Kansas basketball more than Walt Wesley,” current Kansas basketball coach Bill Self said in the release. “At 6-11, he was one of the true giants when he played, which led him to being a two-time All-American. Walt would come back to Lawrence often and it was always great to see him. He was such a great ambassador for Kansas basketball. Our thoughts and prayers are with Denise and his family. We lost a KU great and his legacy will live forever in Kansas basketball history.”
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Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Walt Wesley, former Kansas basketball star, dies at age 79
