Warriors great Nate Thurmond died Saturday from after a short battle with leukemia. He was 74.
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We are saddened by the passing of a true Warriors Legend. Rest in Peace, Nate Thurmond. pic.twitter.com/4JT9aftJlg
— GoldenStateWarriors (@warriors) July 16, 2016
“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," Warriors owner Joe Lacob said in a statement. "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 #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.”
Thurmond was voted one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history, and is considered to be one of the best centers of all time. He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1985.
A seven-time NBA All-Star, he had his No. 42 jersey retired by the Warriors in 1978.
Thurmond was drafted third overall by the San Francisco Warriors in 1963, following his collegiate career at Bowling Green. He played with the Warriors for 11 of his 14 NBA seasons.
Thurmond made history in the 1967-68 season, when he averaged 20.5 points and 22.0 rebounds, joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only Warriors player to put up more than 20 points and 20 rebounds per game in a season. He is also only one of three players, along with Chamberlain and Bill Russell, to grab more than 40 rebounds in an NBA game.
He spent the last three years of his career with the Bulls and Cavaliers before retiring and returning to San Francisco. He was given the title "Warriors Legend & Ambassador" by the organization for his dedication to the team.
Thurmond is still the Warriors' all-time leader with 12,771 rebounds and 30,735 minutes played.