Gene Conley, one of the only athletes in history to win a World Series and an NBA championship, passed away on July 4, 2017. He was 86 years old. His death was confirmed by his daughter, who said he had heart failure.

Donald Eugene “Gene” Conley was born on November 10, 1930 in Muskogee, Oklahoma. While attending Richland High School, he reached the all-state team in baseball and basketball and was the state champion in the high jump. During 1950, Conley played on the Cougar team and went on to reach the College World Series. At the same time, Conley was a first team All-PCC (Pacific Coast Conference) selection for college basketball. Later on, Conley pitched semiprofessional baseball and began receiving offers from Major League Baseball, the Minneapolis Lakers, and the Tri-Cities Blackhawks. Although at first he declined, Conley eventually accepted an offer to sign with the Boston Braves. In the middle of his first season of professional baseball, Conley was selected to play for the Boston Celtics. At 6 feet 8 inches, Conley was the tallest pitcher in the major leagues, at the time.

Following his debut with the Boston Braves in 1952, Conley later joined the Milwaukee Braves. Conley helped pitch the Milwaukee Braves to a World Series championship in 1957. While also winning three consecutive NBA titles with the Celtics by 1958. After being traded to the Boston Red Sox, Conley pitched for the team from 1961 to 1963. The right-hander spent 11 years playing baseball and was a three-time All-Star. Across his six seasons in the NBA, Conley averaged 5.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in 16.5 minutes of playing time. The Washington Sports Hall of Fame included Conley in its 1979 class of inductees.

Looking back on his dual-sport career, Conley once said: “When I look back, I don’t know how I did it, I really don’t. I think I was having so much fun that it kept me going. I can’t remember a teammate I didn’t enjoy.”

While balancing baseball and basketball, Conley married Kathryn Dizney in 1951. Following his retirement from professional sports, Conley and Kathryn founded their own paper company, Foxboro Paper Company. Together the pair had three children and seven grandchildren.