Kentucky basketball legend Cotton Nash passes away at 80

Kentucky basketball legend, Charles Francis “Cotton” Nash, passed away early Tuesday morning at the age of 80. The family of Nash released the sad news following his death, with his son Patrick Nash revealing that his health had been poor due to medical issues that arose around Thanksgiving of last year.

On Tuesday morning, Nash passed away in the hospital.

“Baptist (Health) Hospital was taking good care of him but, finally, he just wasn’t able to overcome everything,” said Nash’s son.

Kentucky basketball star Cotton Nash dies at 80

“Rest in Peace, Cotton Nash, a Kentucky Basketball great that passed away today at the age of 80,” shared On3’s Tyler Thompson on the news. “The Cats’ all-time leading scorer (1,770 pts) until Dan Issel claimed the record in 1970. One of only 13 men to play in both the NBA and MLB, and he also played in the ABA.”

Nash was famous during his time with the Wildcats on the court from 1961-64, where he played for Adolph Rupp. Nash finished his college career with 1,770 points and 962 rebounds — leaving as the all-time leading scorer in school history at that time. He held the mark for another six seasons before Dan Issel scored 2,138 points and took the title from him.

Nash’s excellence as an athlete didn’t stop when he left the court, as he played in both the NBA and MLB. As Thompson highlighted, he is one of 13 players ever to play in both modern professional basketball and baseball leagues.