Nate Thurmond RIP

http://www.csnbayarea.com/warriors/warriors-legend-nate-thurmond-passes-away-age-74

One of the game's all-time great big men.

RIP Nate

dboss

Wow, lots of big guys have passed away in the last year. Too bad. RIP

Nate is my all-time favorite player. He was one of the great centers to play the game but isn't as well-known as he should be because he played at the same time as Russell and Wilt during the golden age of big men. I grew up watching him play for the Warriors at the Cow Palace in San Francisco and then the Oakland Coliseum. As a center during my playing days, he was my inspiration as a defensive-minded big man.

Nate was tremendously respected by opponents and beloved by teammates, fans, and friends. He was an icon in the Bay Area both during his playing days and after. I was lucky to have a sports idol who had the character to deserve that title.

Here are some of my favorite photos of Nate.


Above: Typical Nate Thurmond, rebounding and protecting the ball.


Above: Late in his career with Cleveland, but still an imposing physical sight.


Above: Shaking hands with Dave Cowens at the center jump.


Above: Going against Kareem. One game I went to, Nate blocked a Kareem sky hook, one of the very few times that happened.


Above: At a fundraiser for the Martin Luther King Memorial, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, George Lucas and his son, Bill Walton, and Nate Thurmond. Four of the greatest centers ever.


Above: At the same dinner with Samuel L. Jackson, George Lucas, and Carlos Santana and his wife.


Above: Defending against Wilt.

To Nate Thurmond, one of the greats.