The Golden State Warriors will honor one of their all-time greats, Nate Thurmond, with a yellow patch with his number “42” in the left band of their jerseys throughout the 2016-17 season.
Thurmond, whose jersey hangs high in the rafters of Oracle Arena, died on July 16 after losing a battle with leukemia at 74-years-old.
Named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history, Thurmond was a force around the rim, averaging an impressive 15 points, 15 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks over his 14-year career. Blocks only became an official statistic ahead of the 1973-74 season — if blocks had been recorded over Thurmond's first 10 years, he would likely be part of the all-time leaders in that stat category.
He was also the first player to officially record a quadruple-double, totalling 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, and 12 blocks with the Chicago Bulls in 1974.
Thurmond's jersey was retired by the Warriors in 1978 and he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985.
Nate Thurmond ranks first in Warriors history in minutes (30,735) and rebounds (12,771), second in games played (757), and fifth in points (13,191). He was a seven-time All-Star and two-time member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team.
The Warriors are also expected to have a short pre-game ceremony celebrating his life during the home-opener against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, Oct. 25 which will also air on TNT.
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