 Nash with theKentucky Wildcats basketball team | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1942-07-24)July 24, 1942 Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | May 23, 2023(2023-05-23) (aged 80) Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Lake Charles (Lake Charles, Louisiana) |
| College | Kentucky (1961–1964) |
| NBA draft | 1964: 2nd round, 12th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Playing career | 1964–1968 |
| Position | Small forward |
| Number | 33, 17, 44 |
| Career history | |
| 1964–1965 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1965 | San Francisco Warriors |
| 1967–1968 | Kentucky Colonels |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Career NBA and ABA statistics | |
| Points | 470 (5.6 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 273 (3.3 rpg) |
| Assists | 65 (0.8 apg) Baseball player Baseball career |
| First baseman /left fielder | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 1, 1967, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 1, 1970, for the Minnesota Twins | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .188 |
| Hits | 3 |
| Strikeouts | 3 |
| Runs batted in | 2 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Charles Francis "Cotton"Nash (July 24, 1942 – May 23, 2023) was an American professionalbasketball andbaseball player. He played as aforward in theNational Basketball Association (NBA) for theLos Angeles Lakers andSan Francisco Warriors, and in theAmerican Basketball Association (ABA) for theKentucky Colonels. He was anoutfielder inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theChicago White Sox andMinnesota Twins.
Nash was born inJersey City, New Jersey, on July 24, 1942. His uncle gave him the nickname "Cotton-top" because he wastowheaded.[1]
The family moved to Indiana when Nash was 11 years old, and Nash picked up basketball. He attendedJeffersonville High School inJeffersonville, Indiana. His father was transferred to work inOrange, Texas, and he settled the family inLake Charles, Louisiana, because the state had more lenient rules on high school sports transfers. Nash attended Lake Charles High School from 1958 to 1960.[2]
Nash attended theUniversity of Kentucky, where he playedcollege basketball for theKentucky Wildcats men's basketball team. He was named to the All-Southeastern Conference three times[3] and was afirst-team All-American in 1964. Nash participated in theUnited States Olympic Trials for the1964 Summer Olympics, and was selected as an alternate.[1]
TheLos Angeles Lakers of theNational Basketball Association (NBA) selected Nash in the second round of the1964 NBA draft.[4] He played for the Lakers until February 1, 1965, when the Lakers acquiredBill McGill andwaived Nash.[5] TheSan Francisco Warriors claimed Nash for the $1,000 waiver price.[6]
Nash played in theAmerican Basketball Association (ABA) with theKentucky Colonels during the1967–68 ABA season. He averaged 8.5 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, and 1.2 assists per game.[7]
While at the University of Kentucky, Nash also played on theKentucky baseball team. In 1963, he playedcollegiate summer baseball with theCotuit Kettleers of theCape Cod Baseball League and was named a league all-star.[8][9][10]
In May 1964, Nash signed with theLos Angeles Angels and made his professional baseball debut with theHawaii Islanders of thePacific Coast League.[11] In August 1967, the Angels traded Nash with cash to theChicago White Sox forBill Skowron.[12] The White Sox promoted him to the major leagues on September 1.[13]
During spring training in 1969, the White Sox traded Nash to thePittsburgh Pirates forEd Hobaugh. Nash played for theColumbus Jets in theInternational League that year. Hobaugh retired in June and the White Sox asked for Pittsburgh to return Nash to their farm system.[14] Nash refused to report to theTucson Toros, and the White Sox traded him to theMinnesota Twins for aplayer to be named later (later determined to beJerry Crider). Nash reported to theDenver Bears.[15] The Twins promoted him to the major leagues in September.[16] Late in the 1969 season, the Twins asked Nash to come tospring training as apitcher in 1970.[17] He played for theEvansville Triplets in 1970,[17] earning another promotion to the major leagues that September.[1]
Nash played for thePortland Beavers in 1971.[17] TheLouisville Colonels of the International League acquired Nash from the Twins forMike Derrick in January 1972.[18] However, the Colonels' acquisition ofCecil Cooper made Nash expendable, and he did not make their final preseason roster cut.[19][20] He joined Denver during the 1972 season.[21]
Nash and his wife, Julie Richey, began dating while they attended the University of Kentucky. They married in November 1964 and had three children.[1]
In 1993, Nash was inducted into theKentucky Athletic Hall of Fame.[22]
Nash was hospitalized at Baptist Health Hospital inLexington, Kentucky, and died on May 23, 2023, aged 80,[23][24] after suffering from ill health since the previous November.[25]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Source[26]
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964–65 | L.A. Lakers (NBA) | 25 | 6.7 | .246 | .781 | 1.4 | .4 | 2.1 | |
| 1964–65 | San Francisco (NBA) | 20 | 9.5 | .375 | .900 | 2.4 | .5 | 4.2 | |
| 1967–68 | Kentucky (ABA) | 39 | 20.2 | .348 | .000 | .747 | 4.9 | 1.2 | 8.5 |
| Career | 84 | 13.6 | .340 | .000 | .766 | 3.3 | .8 | 5.6 | |
· Basketball Reference