As the NBA world mourns the loss of Nate Thurmond, Hall of Fame center who passed away on Saturday at the age of 74 after a short battle with leukemia, the league released a video remembering his legendary career.
In the video, Hall of Fame center Wilt Chamberlain — who played alongside a young Thurmond with the San Francisco Warriors before heading to Philadelphia and Los Angeles — says that Thurmond was an "incredible defensive basketball player" who played him "as well as Bill Russell."
Hall of Fame forward Rick Barry, also Thurmond's former Warriors' teammate, reiterated Chamberlain's praise.
"Nate Thurmond would have to be recognized as one of the best defensive players that's ever played the game."
Thurmond, who is also featured in the video from a 2007 interview, touches on his legacy, and the importance of being bigger than basketball.
"I was able to carve out a career that was admirable, and more importantly, I was able to carve out a situation where people respected me and liked the type of person that I was, long after they've forgotten the last hook shot or blocked shot. If you are a good person, to me, that's the most important thing."
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