Nate Thurmond 1941-2016

Rick Barry once said of his fellow Warriors star Nate Thurmond, "He's the one who makes us a great team. I'm just the dressing on the salad." That's a fitting culinary comparison for the healthy skills of Thurmond, who died last Saturday, at 74, from leukemia. The 6'11" Hall of Famer recorded the NBA's first official quadruple double on Oct. 18, 1974, when he racked up 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists and 12 blocks. Thurmond is one of just five players to average 15 points and 15 rebounds for his career, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar famously called him the best defender he ever faced. Thurmond's influence touched today's stars too. LeBron James tweeted that his fellow Akron, Ohio, native, "gave me hope of making it out."