Nate Thurmond, NBA Hall of Fame center, dies at 74

Nate Thurmond, a Hall of Fame center and a tenacious defender and rebounder who was among the NBA’s top players of the 1960s and 1970s, died July 16 in San Francisco. He was 74.

The Golden State Warriors, for whom Mr. Thurmond starred for many years, announced his death.

Mr. Thurmond played 11 of his 14 seasons with the Warriors and retired after the 1976-1977 season, one year after leading the “Miracle” Cleveland Cavaliers to an improbable trip to the NBA Finals before losing to the Boston Celtics. His No. 42 was retired by both the Warriors and the Cavaliers.

The 6-foot-11 Mr. Thurmond was voted as one of the best 50 players in NBA history and is considered among the most-dominating centers in the game.

“Nate Thurmond was a giant of his era and one of the greatest players in the history of our game,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.

Mr. Thurmond’s play and numbers weren’t flashy, but he earned the respect of his peers and knowledgeable basketball fans for his consistency, defense and strength.

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“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,” said former teammate Al Attles.

He recorded the first official quadruple double in NBA history as a Chicago Bull when he had 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists and 12 blocked shots against the Atlanta Hawks in 1974. He is one of only four players to grab more than 40 rebounds in a game.

Nathaniel Thurmond was born July 25, 1941, in Akron, Ohio. The Warriors drafted him with the third overall pick in the 1963 draft after he graduated from Bowling Green State in Ohio.

Mr. Thurmond apprenticed under Hall of Fame center Wilt Chamberlain until the Warriors traded Chamberlain to the Philadelphia 76ers in the middle of the 1964-1965 season. Mr. Thurmond went on to average 15 points and 15 rebounds a game during his career and still holds the Warriors’ franchise records for career rebounds and minutes .

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He was also considered an outstanding shot blocker, but the NBA did not keep statistics on blocked shots until late in Mr. Thurmond’s career. He was traded to the Bulls before the 1974-1975 season, then was traded to the Cavaliers the following season. Mr. Thurmond played a key role in Cleveland’s run to the championship finals, which the Cavaliers lost to the Boston Celtics in six games.

Mr. Thurmond was a seven-time all-star and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1985.

After his retirement, he worked for the Warriors as a community liaison and broadcast analyst until his illness sidelined him earlier this year.

He also opened a popular barbecue restaurant in San Francisco called Big Nate’s BBQ, which he sold in 2011.

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