Hall of Famer Nate Thurmond died Saturday morning in San Francisco after a brief battle with leukemia. He was 74.
Thurmond, voted one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history, spent 11 of his 14 NBA seasons with the San Francisco and Golden State Warriors. Golden State retired his jersey No. 42 in 1978 and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985.
Thurmond was a seven-time NBA All-Star and earned NBA All-Defensive First or Second Team honors five times.
“Although I had prepared for this news for the past several days, I was heartbroken and devastated when I was informed of Nate’s death earlier today,” said Al Attles, former Warriors coach, general manager and current community relations ambassador, in a statement released by the team.
“In typical Nate fashion, he did not let many people know about his illness and how serious it was and, unfortunately, it proved to be one of the few things in life tougher than him. Looking back, he was as ferocious as any player in the history of the game on the court, but one of the kindest and nicest souls in his everyday life. He was just a terrific human being who I loved and respected more than words can describe and, 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.”
The Warriors made Thurmond the No. 3 overall pick in the 1963 draft after he spent his collegiate career at Bowling Green. For his career, Thurmond averaged 15.0 points and 15.0 rebounds per game. In the 1967-68 season, he joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only Warriors to average at least 20 points and 20 rebounds per game for a season, scoring 20.5 points and pulling down 22.0 boards a contest. He is still the Warriors’ all-time leader in rebounds (12,771) and minutes played (30,735). 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.
“Nate was one of the greatest centers to ever play the game and I was privileged to call him a teammate and dear friend,” said former Warriors teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Rick Barry. “He battled his illness until the very end, like a true Warrior. His legacy is one of passion, fierce competitiveness, a love of basketball and selfless devotion to others. My heartfelt prayers go out to his family, friends and fans.”
After retiring as a player, Thurmond spent more than 30 years as an ambassador for the Warriors in their community relations department.
“We’ve lost one of the most iconic figures in the history of not only our organization, but the NBA in general, with the passing of Nate Thurmond,” said Warriors owner Joe Lacob. “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 and both a Hall of Fame player and Hall of Fame person, hence his number 42 jersey hanging from the rafters at Oracle Arena. On behalf of the entire Warriors organization, our thoughts and prayers go out to his entire family, including his wife, Marci. We’ll miss his presence in his customary seats at our games next season, but his legacy will live forever.”