Warriors legend Nate Thurmond passes away at age of 74

The NBA lost another great on Saturday as legendary Golden State Warriors big man and Hall of Famer Nate Thurmond passed away at the age of 74. According to the Warriors, Thurmond passed away after a "short battle" with leukemia.

Thurmond played 14 years in the NBA, 11 with Golden State, and averaged a double double of 15 points and 15 rebounds for his career. Voted as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history, Thurmond, a seven-time All-Star who was voted to the All-Defensive first or second team five times, is considered to be one of the better centers to ever play. In 1985, Thurmond was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

In retirement, Thurmond worked in the Warriors organization as a "valued asset" to Golden State's community relations department. Several members of the Warriors organization spoke about Thurmond in a team release:

Rick Barry, former Warriors player and Hall of Famer: "Nate was one of the greatest centers to ever play the game and I was privileged to call him a teammate and dear friend. He battled his illness until the very end, like a true Warrior. His legacy is one of passion, fierce competitiveness, a love of basketball and selfless devotion to others. My heartfelt prayers go out to his family, friends and fans."

Maps do you remember him