Thurmond's Passing Seems On Cue.....
Yesterday I got home from work a little tired. My work doesn't get me tired everyday, but I was happy to get home yesterday and change into some comfortable clothes. I flopped on to my couch and grabbed my trusty tablet to check in with any news happenings. Then I saw it; Former Cavalier Nate Thurmond passes away at 74.
Unless you're my age, you never saw him play. Hell, even I never saw him play live very much. He played most of his career in the 70's on the west coast. Following the NBA in the 70's was part story telling and part detective research. There was no cable TV, and no internet. This was the era of the magazine. Names like Sports Illustrated and Sport Magazine ran features. My favorite was a newspaper style weekly called The Sporting News. It would have the statistics from every game.
Nate Thurmond grew up in Akron. (Sound familiar?) He graduated from Bowling Green, and then played 11 years as a center for the Golden State Warriors. He became a NBA legend specializing in defense and rebounding. He was an NBA All-star 7 times. He averaged a double-double for his career. He recorded the first quadruple double in NBA history. Unlike today, he played in a very physical league. With no 3-point shot. The only thing missing was - a championship.
The Cavaliers of 1975-76 were a talented group, but without a superstar. And with no playoff experience. Thurmond was an aging veteran when the Cavs traded for him in November. The Cavs were a sub .500 team when the trade was made. They finished the year as division champions.
What caused the turnaround? Nate Thurmond provided leadership and showed the kids how to win. He showed them how to prepare and compete. How to be a professional. He would be the backup to Jim Chones, and made the Cavs 2-deep at every position.
I'm not going to tell the story of the Miracle of Richfield again. But know this: if the Cavs could've avoided injury in the playoffs, we would have been NBA Champions that year.
The story goes that after the Cavs were eliminated, Nate Thurmond openly wept in the locker room.
A year later, the Cavs retired his number 42. It today hangs from the rafters in Quicken Loans Arena. How does a guy who actually only played a handful of games for the Cavs at the end of his career get his number retired?
Because he made basketball cool in Northeast Ohio. Decades before Lebron.
Sometimes the timing that things happen in the news are truly spooky. A few weeks ago the Cavs finally won that Championship. I was fortunate enough to see 2 Finals games in person, went to watch party's, and celebrated in the downtown streets after we won game 7. I'll never forget it. Shortly after, Nate Thurmond passes away.
It's almost like Nate and the Miracle of Richfield Cavaliers were placeholders, standing guard until the Cavs could win a Championship. Now we have a Championship for a new generation. But people of my generation are standing a little taller too. We aren't waiting for something to go wrong.
Our passion might be because of a seed planted by Nate Thurmond. Thanks Nate.
I'd like to extend my warmest regards to his family and friends.
Yesterday I got home from work a little tired. My work doesn't get me tired everyday, but I was happy to get home yesterday and change into some comfortable clothes. I flopped on to my couch and grabbed my trusty tablet to check in with any news happenings. Then I saw it; Former Cavalier Nate Thurmond passes away at 74.
Unless you're my age, you never saw him play. Hell, even I never saw him play live very much. He played most of his career in the 70's on the west coast. Following the NBA in the 70's was part story telling and part detective research. There was no cable TV, and no internet. This was the era of the magazine. Names like Sports Illustrated and Sport Magazine ran features. My favorite was a newspaper style weekly called The Sporting News. It would have the statistics from every game.
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| Big men, like Chamberlain, were common in Thurmond's era. |
The Cavaliers of 1975-76 were a talented group, but without a superstar. And with no playoff experience. Thurmond was an aging veteran when the Cavs traded for him in November. The Cavs were a sub .500 team when the trade was made. They finished the year as division champions.
What caused the turnaround? Nate Thurmond provided leadership and showed the kids how to win. He showed them how to prepare and compete. How to be a professional. He would be the backup to Jim Chones, and made the Cavs 2-deep at every position.
I'm not going to tell the story of the Miracle of Richfield again. But know this: if the Cavs could've avoided injury in the playoffs, we would have been NBA Champions that year.
The story goes that after the Cavs were eliminated, Nate Thurmond openly wept in the locker room.
A year later, the Cavs retired his number 42. It today hangs from the rafters in Quicken Loans Arena. How does a guy who actually only played a handful of games for the Cavs at the end of his career get his number retired?
Because he made basketball cool in Northeast Ohio. Decades before Lebron.
Sometimes the timing that things happen in the news are truly spooky. A few weeks ago the Cavs finally won that Championship. I was fortunate enough to see 2 Finals games in person, went to watch party's, and celebrated in the downtown streets after we won game 7. I'll never forget it. Shortly after, Nate Thurmond passes away.
It's almost like Nate and the Miracle of Richfield Cavaliers were placeholders, standing guard until the Cavs could win a Championship. Now we have a Championship for a new generation. But people of my generation are standing a little taller too. We aren't waiting for something to go wrong.
Our passion might be because of a seed planted by Nate Thurmond. Thanks Nate.
 |
| Nate Thurmond is part of my Cavs Wall of Memories in my basement. |
I'd like to extend my warmest regards to his family and friends.
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