Thurmond apprenticed under Hall of Fame center Wilt Chamberlain until the Warriors traded Chamberlain to the Philadelphia 76ers in the middle of the 1964-65 season. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " Former NBA great Nate Thurmond, a tenacious defensive center who played with Wilt Chamberlain and was an iconic sports figure in two cities, died Saturday after a short battle with leukemia. Thurmond played 11 of his 14 seasons with the Warriors and retired after the 1976-1977 season, one year after leading the "Miracle" Cavaliers to an improbable trip to the NBA finals. The 6-foot, 11-inch Thurmond was voted as one of the best 50 players in NBA history and is considered among the most-dominating centers in the game. Thurmond also opened a popular barbecue restaurant in San Francisco called Big Nate's BBQ, which he sold in 2011.

Source: New Zealand Herald July 16, 2016 18:33 UTC