Thurmond, who spent the majority of his 14-year National Basketball Association career during the 1960s and ’70s with the Golden State Warriors, averaged 15 points along with 15 rebounds a game. He went on to play for the Chicago Bulls and ended his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1977.
Advertisement
Following the announcement that Thurmond is dead, there has been an outpouring of condolences. Chamberlain once said Thurmond “was the best to play against me” which is high praise considering the many clashes Chamberlain had with Russell.
Jerry West, who works with the Warriors as an executive board member, called Thurmond “without a doubt, one of the fiercest competitors that I played against during my entire career”. R.I.P Akron’s own Nate Thurmond. “One for All.’ code”, the statement said.
Thurmond was born July 25, 1941, in Akron, Ohio.
Thurmond, a center, was drafted by the San Francisco Warriors with the third overall pick in the 1963 National Basketball Association draft.
The Golden State Warriors announced the death of one of the team’s most respected players less than a month after they lost the NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games. He played with the team for 11 seasons.
He is still 10th on the career rebounding list many decades after retiring, a testament to his presence inside even though his name rarely gets mentioned with the great big men of the time, especially Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He became the first player to record an official quadruple-double when he had 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists and 12 blocks against the Atlanta Hawks on October 18, 1974 with the Chicago Bulls. A seven-time All-Star, he was voted one of the league’s 50 Greatest Players and was the franchise’s bedrock when the Warriors moved to the Bay Area. He was traded to the Cavaliers early in the 1975-76 season.
Thurmond passed away on Saturday morning in San Francisco. He was a fixture at home games with his wife, Marci – midcourt, about 15 rows up – and appeared at numerous community events each year. He also has a 39-year-old son named Adam.
Advertisement
Rest in peace, Nate Thurmond.
