Nate Thurmond

Nathaniel Thurmond (July 25, 1941 – July 16, 2016) was an American professional basketball player who played center and power forward across a 14-year career, the majority of it in the National Basketball Association with the Golden State Warriors franchise. He attended Central High School in Akron, where he played alongside future NBA player Gus Johnson. Passing up a scholarship offer from Ohio State to avoid becoming a backup to high school rival Jerry Lucas, Thurmond chose to play college basketball at Bowling Green, where he led the Mid-American Conference in rebounds.

In the NBA, Thurmond was a seven-time All-Star and the first player in league history to record an official quadruple-double. In 1965 he grabbed 42 rebounds in a single game, a total exceeded only by Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. Known to fans as "Nate the Great," he later played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and his No. 42 jersey was retired by both the Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors.

Thurmond was named a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985. He was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History and was included on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.