Height: 6-11
Weight: 235
Position: Center
Number: 42
Date Jersey Retired: December 18, 1977

Long before Nate Thurmond had arrived to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 27, 1975 and led the five-year old franchise to its first playoff appearance had Thurmond held a warm spot in the hearts of Northeast Ohioans.

Born Nathaniel Thurmond on July 25, 1941 in Akron, Ohio, the 6-foot-11 center starred at Akron’s Central Hower High School before taking his talents to Bowling Green State University. As a Falcon, Thurmond averaged 17.8 points and 17.0 rebounds over three varsity seasons, earning All-America honors as a senior in 1963.

Drafted by the San Francisco Warriors with the third overall pick in the 1963 NBA Draft, Thurmond learned behind Wilt Chamberlain for a full season before the Warriors traded Chamberlain midway through the following season clearing room for Thurmond to flourish. A dominant defensive player whom Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar both credited as their toughest defender, Thurmond was named to the NBA All-Defensive First or Second Team on five occasions (1969, ‘71-74) and was honored as an NBA All-Star seven times (1965-65, ’70, ’73-74). Thurmond is also acknowledged in NBA history as the first player to ever record a quadruple-double.

Thurmond was traded to the Chicago Bulls after 11 seasons as a Warrior and two trips to the NBA Finals (1964 and 1967). Thurmond spent two seasons in Chicago before the Cavaliers acquired the center for Steve Patterson and Eric Fernsten.

Home in Ohio again Thurmond led the 1975-76 Cavaliers team that started 6-11 without him to a 43-22 finish and the playoffs, helping give birth to the season better known as “the Miracle of Richfield.”

The following season would be Thurmond’s last as he retired at the end of the season. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984 and named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996.

The Cavaliers retired his jersey on Dec. 18, 1977.