OAKLAND -- Nate Thurmond, the imposing Hall of Fame center and leading rebounder in Warriors history, died Saturday. He was 74.
Thurmond played for the Warriors from 1963-74 and remained a gregarious presence at home games later in life, serving as an official Golden State ambassador even as his health faltered.Thurmond privately battled leukemia over the past few months but recently began calling friends to offer a final goodbye."All you need to know about him as a person is that he called me recently -- could barely speak -- and said he just wanted to tell me thank you for everything,'' said Raymond Ridder, the team's longtime vice president of communications.