Tragedy Strikes Harlan County Basketball Star Reggie Cottrell

In a shocking turn of events, Harlan County basketball star Reggie Cottrell suffered a devastating injury in a fireworks accident on July 4th. The rising junior, who was instrumental in the Black Bears’ Sweet 16 run, lost parts of his fingers in the incident.

Fireworks can be dangerous, as seen in this tragic accident.

According to his sister Lexie, Cottrell was attempting to light a firework when it suddenly blew up, causing severe damage to his hand. He was airlifted to UK Hospital in Lexington, where surgeons amputated his pointer finger and parts of his middle and index fingers. They also inserted a metal wire into his thumb, which was broken.

“I appreciate everyone’s love and prayers after my accident on Thursday,” Cottrell said in a statement. “I underwent surgery Thursday night and am recovering in the hospital. I am overwhelmed by the support for me and my family from Harlan County, the 13th region, and the entire state of Kentucky. Please continue to pray for me as I recover. I look forward to getting back home to Harlan County very soon and I am thankful for everyone’s love and support. Thank you!”

Lexie emphasized that her brother was not being irresponsible and that the wick of the firework wasn’t even lit when it exploded. “He wasn’t messing around and lighting fireworks being silly. He just got ahold of a bad firework. He went to light the firework and the wick didn’t even light, the firework just blew up. It happens every day in many places and it just so happened to happen to him, so just please have an adult around when lighting fireworks because you never know what’s going to happen.”

Reggie Cottrell’s determination will see him back on the court soon.

Despite the severity of the injury, Cottrell is determined to find his way back to the court. His sister shared that he’s already thinking about his basketball future, saying, “I asked him if he was still going to play ball and he replied, ‘I’m Reggie Cottrell.’”

The Kentucky basketball community has rallied around Cottrell, with his former teammate Trent Noah, now an incoming freshman at Kentucky, visiting him in the hospital along with other Wildcats players. Noah shared a photo of their visit on his Instagram story, showing the outpouring of support for the injured player.

Kentucky basketball players show their support for Reggie Cottrell.

Get well soon, Reggie. Be safe, everyone else.