Charlie Tyra

Charles E. Tyra (August 16, 1935 – December 29, 2006) was an American basketball player who is best known as the first Louisville Cardinal All-American.

He played five seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the New York Knicks and Chicago Packers.

Tyna attended Atherton High School in Louisville, Kentucky and played collegiately for the Louisville Cardinals from 1953 to 1957.

Tyra was a 1957 All-American.

Tyra was the No. 2 overall pick of the 1957 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons.

Prior to the April 17, 1957 draft day, on April 3, 1957, the #2 pick (Tyra) was traded by the Pistons with Mel Hutchins to the New York Knicks for Dick Atha, Nathaniel Clifton and Harry Gallatin.

On May 16, 1961, Tyra was traded by the New York Knicks with Bob McNeill to the Chicago Packers for Dave Budd.

Overall, Tyra played five seasons in the National Basketball Association for the New York Knicks (–) and Chicago Packers.

He played one season with the Pittsburgh Rens (1962–1963) of the American Basketball League.

Tyra averaged 8.9 points and 7.4 rebounds in 348 NBA games.

Tyra died, aged 71, at the Franciscan Health Care Center in Louisville, Kentucky on December 29, 2006; he had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure more than two years earlier.

He is still the school's leading all-time rebounder and ranks 11th on the NCAA career rebounds list with 1,617.

He was the first and one of five to have their basketball jersey number retired by Louisville Cardinals.

Tyra's son, Vince Tyra, served as athletic director at the University of Louisville from 2018 to 2021.

He served as the interim athletic director after the departure of Tom Jurich and was appointed permanently to the position on March 26, 2018, before leaving on December 10, 2021.

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