NBA Hall of Famer and seven-time All-Star Nate Thurmond died Saturday at age 74 after a short battle with leukemia.
California"s Golden State Warriors, with whom Thurmond spent 11 of his 14-season career playing, announced his passing in a statement on their website.
"Weve lost one of the most iconic figures in the history of not only our organization, but the NBA in general," Warriors owner Joe Lacob said in the release. "Nate represented this franchise with class, dignity and humility as both a player and community relations ambassador for over 40 years. Without a doubt, he is one of the most beloved figures to ever wear a Warriors uniform."
"On behalf of the entire Warriors organization, our thoughts and prayers go out to his entire family, including his wife, Marci," Lacob continued. "We"ll miss his presence in his customary seats at our games next season, but his legacy will live forever."
Thurmond was drafted by the then-San Francisco Warriors in 1963, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985 for his legendary aggressive rebound defense.
In addition to his time on the Warriors, the 6-ft., 11-in. athlete also played two seasons for both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls. He retired in 1977 and was voted one of the NBAs 50 Greatest Players in 1996.
Decades after walking away from the game, Thurmond remained a Community Ambassador for the Warriors. He also ran a restaurant in San Francisco Big Nate"s BBQ which he sold in 2010.
His jersey, #42, has been retired by both the Warriors and the Cavaliers and hangs from the rafters at Warriors" Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.
Remembering Nate Thurmond Watch: Remembering Hall of Fame center Nate Thurmond
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Watch: Remembering Hall of Fame center Nate Thurmond
The NBA released a video remembering Thurmond"s legendary career.
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Thurmond, a Hall of Fame center and longtime Golden State Warrior, died Saturday, July 16, 2016, after a short battle with leukemia.(Photo: AP)
As the NBA world mourns the loss of Nate Thurmond, Hall of Fame center who passed away on Saturday at the age of 74 after a short battle with leukemia, the league released a video remembering his legendary career.
In the video, Hall of Fame center Wilt Chamberlain who played alongside a young Thurmond withthe San Francisco Warriors before heading toPhiladelphia and Los Angeles says that Thurmond was an "incredible defensive basketball player" who played him "as well as Bill Russell."
Hall of Fame forward Rick Barry, also Thurmond"s former Warriors"teammate,reiterated Chamberlain"s praise.
"Nate Thurmond would have to be recognized as one of the best defensive players that"s ever played the game."
Thurmond, who is also featured in the video from a 2007 interview, touches on his legacy, and the importance of being bigger than basketball.
"I was able to carve out a career that was admirable, and more importantly, I was able to carve out a situation where people respected me and liked the type of person that I was, long after they"ve forgotten the last hook shot or blocked shot. If you are a good person, to me, that"s the most important thing."
Nate Thurmond, NBA Hall Of Famer And Golden State Warriors Great, Dies
OAKLAND >> Warriors legend Nate Thurmond, the Hall of Fame center who went toe-to-toe with the giants of NBA history, died Saturday. He was 74.
Thurmond played for the Warriors from 1963-74 and stands as the franchises all-time leading rebounder. Affable off the court, he worked for more than 30 years as a Golden State ambassador, a role he maintained even as his health faltered.
Thurmond privately battled leukemia over the past few months but also began calling friends to say goodbye.
All you need to know about him as a person is that he called me recently could barely speak and said he just wanted to tell me thank you for everything, said Raymond Ridder, the teams longtime vice president of communications.
Rick Barry, his longtime Warriors teammate, visited Thurmonds bedside last weekend in order to pay his respects.
It was a sad time, obviously. Its never an easy thing to say goodbye to a friend, Barry said in a phone interview Saturday. But he was at peace with himself.
Thurmond, a seven-time All-Star, was an intimidating 6-foot-11, 225-pound force in the era of Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Jabbar, the NBAs all-time leading scorer, said Thurmond was the toughest center he ever faced.
When I score on Nate, I know Ive done something, Abdul-Jabbar once said. He sweats and he wants you to sweat, too.
REBOUNDING DEMON
Thurmond had 12,771 rebounds in his Warriors career, 2,003 more than the next player, Chamberlain. Thurmond is also the franchises all-time leader in minutes played.
Nate played during the era when there were actually were centers good centers, Barry said. But if you ask any of them who the toughest defender was that they had to play against, Nate Thurmonds name was going come up every time. He was one of the best defensive centers ever to play the game, no question.
Thurmond was selected to the NBA 50th Anniversary team in 1996, much to the delight of a player who spent much of his career overshadowed by bigger names.
Being flashy takes unnecessary effort, Thurmond once told Sport magazine. Once, I got cute and tore up a leg muscle that kept me off the court for four weeks. I suppose I could make a reputation for myself by dunking the ball and other stuff. But what would it get me?
Nicknamed Nate the Great, he averaged exactly 15.0 points and 15.0 rebounds over his NBA career. That rebounding average still ranks fifth in NBA history, trailing only fellow Hall of Famers Chamberlain (22.9), Russell (22.5), Bob Pettit (16.2) and Jerry Lucas (15.6).
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Defense was always Thurmonds game, though, and he took great pride in demoralizing his opponent.
Still, Thurmond was a genial giant after the whistle. He lived in San Francisco in retirement and remained a frequent visitor at Oracle Arena. He was a fixture at home games with his wife, Marci midcourt, about 15 rows up and appeared at numerous community events each year.
LEGEND AND AMBASSADOR
His official job title was Warriors Legend & Ambassador. Among his duties last season was joining other Warriors greats to speak to the current players at the request of Coach Steve Kerr.
Thurmonds gentle side may have left him under-appreciated compared to his more menacing peers, something he acknowledged as he neared retirement.
You wait and see, Ill be forgotten quick. Five years from now, when the great centers are mentioned, Ill be forgotten, he told The New York Times in 1976. Maybe I was too nice, but thats all down the drain. I know what Ive done. Id just like to finish my career with people saying, He can play.
Thurmond made the NBA All-Defensive First or Second Team five times. He once grabbed 42 rebounds in a game for the San Francisco Warriors, on Nov. 9, 1965, against the Detroit Pistons.
Thurmond also owns the distinction of recording the first official quadruple-double in NBA history, with 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists and 12 blocked shots as a member of the Chicago Bulls in 1974. He might have accomplished that feat earlier, but blocked shots were not an official statistic until 1973-74. Thats a pity for a player who would have racked them up by the truckload.
HONORED BY WEST
In the Warriors statement announcing Thurmonds death, Jerry West, a Hall of Famer and Warriors executive board member, called Thurmond someone whom I admired as much as any player I ever went to battle against on any level. ... He played with unbelievable intensity and was simply a man among boys on most nights, especially on the defensive end. On the other hand, off the court, Nate was about as caring and loving as they come, extremely kind and gentle.
Thurmond was born July 25, 1941, in Akron, Ohio. He starred at Central Hower High School, where his teammates included future NBA star Gus Johnson.
After a prolific career at Bowling Green State University, Thurmond went to the Warriors as the third overall pick in the 1963 NBA draft. He fell in love with the Bay Area almost immediately because, for one thing, it didnt snow.
After I was out here for about 4-5 months, I called my mother and said, Hey, Mom, that bedroom youre saving for me? Rent it out. I wont be back, Thurmond told the Bay Area News Group last year.
As a rookie, he served as an apprentice under Chamberlain, playing sparingly for a team that reached the NBA Finals before losing to the Boston Celtics.
Midway through the following season, the Warriors traded Chamberlain to Philadelphia and moved Thurmond from power forward to center.
TRADED TO BULLS
He stayed there for the next decade. Only Chris Mullin (807) played more games in a Warriors uniform than Thurmond (757).
After being traded by the Warriors to Chicago before Golden States 1974-75 championship season, he played a year and change with the Bulls before being dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Both the Warriors and Cavs have retired his No. 42 jersey.
He was just a terrific human being who I loved and respected more than words can describe, former Warriors coach Al Attles said in a statement. Fortunately, I was blessed to spend a great deal of time with as a teammate, coach and, most importantly, a friend for a good portion of our adult lives. For that, I am extremely thankful.
Thurmond was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985.
