He battled some of the best big men in the NBA, including Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

On Saturday, Hall of Fame center Nate Thurmond died, ending his battle with leukemia. He was 74.

Thurmond played in the league from 1963 to 1977, mostly for the Golden State Warriors, averaging 15 points and 15 rebounds per game as a defensive force with a nice shooting touch. Thurmond was the first player in league history to record a quadruple-double and once pulled down 42 rebounds in a game. The seven-time All-Star was even named to the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list in 1996.

News of Thurmond's passing quickly reverberated through the league over the weekend, with everyone from back-to-back MVP Stephen Curry to three-time NBA champion and Nate's fellow Akron native LeBron James and Hall of Famer Magic Johnson weighing in about the loss.

Rest in peace to Nate Thurmond and condolences to his family.

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