Former CNN sportscaster Nick Charles passed away Saturday, ending his two-year fight with bladder cancer, according to reports from multiple outlets.
Charles, 64, became CNN's first sportscaster in 1980, where he teamed up with Fred Hickman for nearly 20 years on the popular highlight show Sports Tonight.
On Saturday, ESPN's Chris Berman released a statement about his friend and former rival.
"All of us are saddened by Nick's passing," Berman said. "Back in the '80s we were billed as competitors but we never felt that way. Instead, the feeling was nothing but admiration. I learned by watching him on TV back then, and I learned even more watching him handle an impossible situation with class and dignity."
The former sportscaster studied communications at Columbia College Chicago, working as a taxi driver at night to pay for his tuition. He held several positions at local radio stations until CNN hired him in 1980.
Charles died at his home in New Mexico, his wife told CNN.
