Nate Thurmond, the Hall of Fame center for the Golden State Warriors died on Saturday [July 18] in San Francisco, CA from leukemia, days shy of celebrating his 75th birthday.
“Nate The Great” was born on July 25, 1941 and played high school basketball in Akron, Cleveland. He attended college at Bowling Green where he also pursued basketball, this time receiving all-American recognition as a senior. He was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 1963 as the third overall pick.
The seven-time All Star played 14 seasons in the NBA, 11 with the Warriors. After years of NBA Finals appearances with the Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Thurmond retired in 1977 with 14,437 points and 14,464 rebounds. He became the first player to hit a quadruple-double debuting with the Chicago Bulls on October 18, 1974 against the Atlanta Hawks–scoring 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists and 12 blocks. Considered one of the greatest for his consistency and defense, Thurmond was elected in the Hall of Fame in 1985. He played with the likes of Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Superstar of the current Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry took to Instagram with a tribute: “RIP Big Fella. Legend of the court! Amazing man off! Was a please to see you around the organization since I’ve been here. #natethrumond.” Cavaliers MVP Lebron James wrote on Twitter, “Knowing u played in the same rec league as me growing up gave me hope of making it out! Thanks!” Prayers up for his beloved wife and son.
