OAKLAND >> Warriors legend Nate Thurmond, the Hall of Fame focus that went toe-to-toe along with the giants of NBA history, died Saturday. He was 74.
Thurmond played for the Warriors from 1963-74 and stands as the franchise’s all-time leading rebounder. Affable off the court, he worked for a lot more compared to 30 years as a Golden State ambassador, a role he maintained even as his good health faltered.
Thurmond privately battled leukemia over the past couple of months however additionally began calling friends to say goodbye.
“every one of you should understand concerning your man as a individual is that he called me recently — could barely speak — and said he simply wanted to tell me thank you for everything,” said Raymond Ridder, the team’s longtime vice president of communications.”
Rick Barry, his longtime Warriors teammate, visited Thurmond’s bedside last weekend in order to pay his respects.
“It was a sad time, obviously. It’s never ever an basic thing to say goodbye to a friend,” Barry said in a phone interview Saturday. “however he was at peace along 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 NBA’s all-time leading scorer, said Thurmond was the toughest focus he ever faced.
“As quickly as I score on Nate, I understand I’ve done something,” Abdul-Jabbar once said. “He sweats and he desires you to sweat, too.”
Thurmond had 12,771 rebounds in his Warriors career, 2,003 a lot more compared to the next man, Chamberlain. Thurmond is additionally the franchise’s all-time leader in mins played.
“Nate played throughout the era As quickly as there were actually were centers — excellent centers,” Barry said. “however if you ask any type of of them that the toughest defender was that they had to play against, Nate Thurmond’s name was going come up every time. He was one of the very best defensive centers ever to play the game, no question.”
Thurmond was picked to the NBA 50th Anniversary group in 1996, a lot to the delight of a gamer that spent a lot of his job 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 credibility for myself by dunking the ball and various other stuff. however just what would certainly it get hold of me?”
Nicknamed “Nate the Great,” he averaged specifically 15.0 points and 15.0 rebounds over his NBA career. That rebounding standard 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 constantly Thurmond’s game, though, and he took Terrific pride in demoralizing his opponent.
Still, Thurmond was a genial giant after the whistle. He lived in San Francisco in retirement and remained a regular visitor at Oracle Arena. He was a fixture at estate games along with his wife, Marci — midcourt, concerning 15 rows up — and appeared at lots of community events each year.
His official task title was “Warriors Legend & Ambassador.” Among his duties last season was joining various other Warriors greats to speak to the latest gamers at the request of Coach Steve Kerr.
Thurmond’s gentle adverse might have actually left your man under-appreciated compared to his a lot more menacing peers, something he acknowledged as he neared retirement.
“You wait and see, I’ll be forgotten quick. 5 years from now, As quickly as the Terrific centers are mentioned, I’ll be forgotten,” he told The Brand-new York Times in 1976. “Maybe I was as well nice, however that’s every one of down the drain. I understand just what I’ve done. I’d simply adore to complete my job along with individuals saying, ‘He can easily play.’”
Thurmond gained the NBA All-Defensive Initial or Second group 5 times. He once grabbed 42 rebounds in a game for the San Francisco Warriors, on Nov. 9, 1965, versus the Detroit Pistons.
Thurmond additionally owns the distinction of recording the Initial official quadruple-double in NBA history, along with 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists and 12 blocked shots as a member of the Chicago Bulls in 1974. He could have actually attained that feat earlier, however blocked shots were not an official statistic until 1973-74. That’s a pity for a gamer that would certainly have actually racked them up by the truckload.
In the Warriors’ statement announcing Thurmond’s death, Jerry West, a Hall of Famer and Warriors executive board member, called Thurmond “a person whom I admired as a lot as any type of gamer I ever went to battle versus on any type of level. … He played along with unbelievable intensity and was just a man among boys on most nights, especially on the defensive end. On the various other hand, off the court, Nate was concerning as caring and loving as they come, really kind and gentle.”
Thurmond was born July 25, 1941, in Akron, Ohio. He starred at Central Hower Higher School, where his teammates included future NBA star Gus Johnson.
After a prolific job at Bowling Green State University, Thurmond went to the Warriors as the 3rd overall select in the 1963 NBA draft. He fell in adore along with the Bay Location almost immediately because, for one thing, it didn’t snow.
“After I was out listed here for concerning 4-5 months, I called my mother and said, ‘Hey, Mom, that bedroom you’re saving for me? Rent it out. I won’t be back,’ “ Thurmond told the Bay Location News Group last year.
As a rookie, he served as an apprentice under Chamberlain, playing sparingly for a group that reached the NBA Finals prior to losing to the Boston Celtics.
Midway through the complying with season, the Warriors traded Chamberlain to Philadelphia and moved Thurmond from energy forward to center.
He stayed there for the next decade. Only Chris Mullin (807) played a lot more games in a Warriors uniform compared to Thurmond (757).
After being traded by the Warriors to Chicago prior to Golden State’s 1974-75 championship season, he played a year and adjustment along with the Bulls prior to being dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 2 the Warriors and Cavs have actually retired his No. 42 jersey.
“He was simply a excellent human being that I loved and respected a lot more compared to words can easily describe,” former Warriors coach Al Attles said in a statement. “Fortunately, I was blessed to spend a Terrific deal of time along with as a teammate, coach and, most importantly, a friend for an excellent part of our adult lives. For that, I am really thankful.”
Thurmond was inducted in to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985.
