Editor's note:This story will be updated.
Walt Wesley, the legendary Dunbar High School basketball player who starred at the University of Kansas and played 10 seasons in the NBA, has died at the age of 79 in Tampa.
The news was first reported by the Kansas City Star, as Wesley was in the midst of a multi-year battle with leukemia. He died Thursday morning at Moffitt Cancer Center, surrounded by his wife, Denise, the newspaper said.
“He was one of the original building blocks of high-level basketball in Fort Myers,” said City of Palms Classic tournament director Donnie Wilkie.
Wesley was a two-time All-Big Eight selection as a junior and senior and a two-time consensus All-American center before his Jayhawks No. 13 was retired at Allen Fieldhouse nearly 20 years ago. I saw it off.
Wesley was just as proud of his No. 31 at Dunbar, which he retired in 2008 after first breaking into the NBA as an athlete in Fort Myers. Wesley's legacy as Southwest Florida's greatest basketball player has lived on for more than 60 years since he graduated from Dunbar College in 1962.
“This is a sad day for Dunbar High School and the Dunbar community,” said Dunbar Principal Carl Burnside. “The legend has been passed down.”
Burnside said that despite all of his career success, Wesley had a humble spirit, describing him as “a gentleman and a gentle giant.”
“He was a pioneer, a pioneer who could walk down the road at 6 feet 11 inches tall and just be quiet and hide in the shadows,” he said.
The big man's game was never quiet. During his 1964-65 season at the University of Kansas, Wesley averaged 23.5 points per game and was a unanimous All-Big Eight selection. He finished his college career as the Jayhawks' 11th all-time scoring leader behind Wilt Chamberlain.
“Walt Wesley is one of the greatest people I've ever known,” Ted Owens, Wesley's coach at the University of Kansas, told the Star. “He was very loved by his teammates and coaches. He was just an extraordinary guy. He came to Kansas and worked hard to develop into the great player he is. I loved the University of Kansas and loved being a part of Kansas Basketball. He influenced all of our lives.”
Wesley was selected with the sixth pick in the 1966 NBA draft by the Cincinnati Royals, and went on to play for the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Capital Bullets (now Washington Wizards), Philadelphia 76ers, and Milwaukee Bucks. I played there for 10 years. , Los Angeles Lakers.
He averaged 8.5 points per game in the league, competing against the likes of Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Nate Thurmond.
“I think it's pretty easy to argue that he was the most successful professional basketball player to come out of our area,” Wilkie said.
Wilkie, who had Wesley's basketball card from an early age, recalled Wesley's incredible defense during his most successful seasons with the Bulls and Cavaliers.
“I don't think people realized how good he was,” he said, noting that Wesley's rise occurred before Lee County schools were integrated.
Burnside recalled scouring the newspaper to see how many points he had earned.
“I realized there were people in the NBA who grew up in the same area as me,” Burnside said. “For many, he probably made his dreams and goals a reality.”
Wesley's impact off the court was just as impactful as his on-court impact, as he served as director of Fort Myers' STARS complex, which focuses on the Dunbar community and Fort Myers' youth mentoring.
“The fact that he did that, and that he was willing to do it without expecting anything in return, was really valuable,” Burnside said.
Wesley also supported the nonprofit Quality Life Center, known as “Q” in the Dunbar community.
“He served his community, he served his church, he served his alma mater,” Burnside said. “He contributed to so many different areas of this community.”
