For his career Thurmond averaged 15 points, 15 rebounds and 2.1 blocks (blocks began being tracked in 1973) per game across 964 contests for the San Francisco (later Golden State) Warriors, Chicago Bulls, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
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His number 42 jersey was retired by both the Warriors and the Cavaliers, the station reported.
The Cavaliers would go on to retire Thurmond’s No, 42, even though he played a relatively scant 112 games with the club. Thurmond was a seven-time All-Star and was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 1985.
“Nate represented this franchise with class, dignity and humility as both a player and community relations ambassador for over 40 years”, Lacob said.
Thurmond made a name as one of the most talented big men in basketball over the course of 15 seasons. The only players in National Basketball Association history to record more rebounds in a game are Chamberlain and Russell.
While playing with Golden State, Thurmond averaged 17.4 points and 16.9 rebounds per game. He lost his battle with Lukemia and was 74.
“I wasn’t a hell of a leaper, but I had good timing”, Thurmond told the Los Angeles Times in 2009. He played with unbelievable intensity and was simply a man among boys on most nights, especially on the defensive end.
“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 team’s longtime vice president of communications”.
The Cavaliers released the following statement Saturday afternoon from Campy Russell, a former teammate and the team’s director of alumni relations.
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Dealt again early in 1975-76, this time to Cleveland, Thurmond helped lead the heretofore woebegone Cavaliers to the famed ‘Miracle of Richfield,’ downing the defending Eastern champion Washington Bullets prior to losing to a Boston Celtics team that would go on to win that year’s title. “One for All.’ code”, the statement said. “We extend our deepest condolences to Nate’s wife, Marci, and their family during this hard time”.
