wayde's story
Wayde Sims...
... was born December 13, 1997 in Winter Park Florida, to Wayne & Fay Sims.
He began his educational career at Wildwood Elementary School and Hosanna Christian Academy before entering University Lab School, where Wayde flourished both academically and athletically.
As one of his teachers said “you will not find a teacher at U-High that did not love him. His grin was infectious, he was always respectful, and he was just plain fun to be around. You couldn’t be in a grumpy mood around Wayde.”
Wayde always loved...
... basketball but had other passions in life. When he wasn’t on the court, you could find him fishing.
His friend Micah Green said, “He was a guy who could beat everyone in bowling without using the balance holes on a bowling ball. He’d grip it with his large hand and hum it down the alley. I swear he’d bowl strikes at 30 miles per hour.”
He would wrestle with his dad and snuggle with his mom. Wayde loved kids. He
was a protector and a loyal friend. He was a gentle giant who loved to dance.
In high school...
... Wayde achieved many athletic accomplishments, including being named First Team All-State. He was also tabbed the 2014-15 Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year.
Wayde earned five varsity letters at University High where he won three state titles, and was named the Most Outstanding Player at the LHSAA Top 28 two times.
Following in his father's footsteps...
when it came time to choose a place to play college basketball, Wayde didn't have to look far in choosing LSU.
His father, Wayne, had played alongside Shaquille O'Neal on the front line on some of the greatest Tiger teams in school history.
Signing with LSU, Wayde donned his father's No. 44 and continued a family tradition as a part of the LSU Basketball team.
At LSU...
... Wayde played in 63 games with 15 career starts.
As a true freshman, Wayde scored a season-high 15 points at Texas A&M, hitting 7-of-11 field goals off the bench with one three pointer to go along with eight rebounds.
As a sophomore, Wayde scored in double figures six times with his best performance coming at Vanderbilt. Against the Commodores, he was perfect from the floor making all six field goals, including a three-pointer, en route to a 16-point performance.
On the night of...
... September 28, 2018, Wayde's life was cut tragically short, a victim of random gun violence.
He left behind a beautiful legacy of love, kindness, gentleness, generosity and friendship to his beloved family and friends. Cherished memories of his life will long be remembered by those who loved him most.
Wayde was remembered and honored...
... by so many in the community and across the country.
"Wayde had a great impact on my life personally, and he'll continue to have probably even more of an impact on the way I try to lead my life from now on. It was an honor to lace up with him everyday and call him a teammate," said teammate and best friend Skylar Mays.
"We're going to honor Wayde everyday. We're going to honor him on gamedays. And we're going to play our hearts out for him," said LSU head coach Will Wade.
On Wayde's 22nd birthday...
... his parents, Wayne and Fay Sims, announced the creation of the Wayde Sims Foundation.
The foundation represents Wayde’s shining spirit by serving the things he was most passionate about: children, sports, and community.
Please join us in honoring Wayde's memory by helping others.