Longtime NBA power forward Wayman Tisdale recorded his 5,000^th career rebound during the Phoenix Suns 1996-97 season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Great Western Forum. Tisdale came off the bench to record 16 points and four rebounds, with his third board serving as the milestone number. Although the Suns lost this game by a score of 96-82, they would recover to make the playoffs in what would be Tisdale’s final season.

The item offered here is a painted game ball from the November 1^st contest awarded to Tisdale in honor of his milestone accomplishment. The ball features a white painted panel with “WAYMAN TISDALE” painted in purple, and “Phoenix Suns 82 Los Angeles Lakers 96”, “5000 Rebounds”, and “11-1-‘96” also painted on the ball. Incidentally, the Suns first round pick in the 1996 Draft, a point guard out of Santa Clara University and future two-time NBA MVP, made his NBA debut in this game. Steve Nash played five minutes, missing his only three-point attempt of the game. This basketball comes with a LOA from Regina Tisdale, the wife of the late Wayman Tisdale. 

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