Nate Thurmond interview - Talks Kareem & Wilt

[sportjames23]

Nothing to see here folks, just the salty opinion of a weak 6 foot white guy from Wilt's era that Wilt mercilessly preyed on.

Damn, even back then Nate looked like he had that old man strength.

[LAZERUSS]

Thanks for your response.

RE: Your project suggestion, I'll have time either after this month or next month (meaning in September or October). At the moment we're trying to dump as many seasons worth of games (synopses + box scores, game by game, for each team) as are available (for stat spreadsheets and to fill out gamelogs). After we've exhausted newspaperarchive.com, it'll be easier to just go through our database and look up numbers to fill out spreadsheets. So I don't want to make promises since I don't know how much time I'll have, but I'd probably have time to do so after finishing up the current archive dumping.

One other thing (for perhaps yourself or someone else to answer): I was looking or a book on Nate (the synopses/box scores/YouTube are nice, but I'd like to read more), but there doesn't seem to be one out there. This was disappointing, but then I got into thinking about other players about whom I don't have anything in my library. The biggest travesty is there doesn't seem to be ANYTHING written on Baylor. I'm not talking just autobiographies (which are always preferable IMO), but literally nothing has been written with him as the subject. I hope I'm wrong, but it seems like that's the case.

As always, I appreciate your efforts. You (and your fellow researchers) have become THE source for indepth statistical information regarding the past NBA greats. The Russell-Wilt h2h info was just outstanding (and yes, I agree that pure stats clearly don't provide us with everything, but at least it is a solid foundation.)

It just seems that the mid-70's thru the early 80's has become somewhat of a "dark age" in the history of the NBA. BB-Reference can provide scoring numbers, but little else. Whatever else you and your fellow stats mavens can come up with, it would surely be appreciated (and hopefully at some point, appreciated as an "official" resource, and available to all.)

As for the Thurmond and Baylor books... you're right. I can't recall much, if anything. It's too bad that I threw out all of my old sports magazines of the late 60's, 70's, and 80's, (like Street&Smith's, or SI's preview publications, etc...including college articles), becase I'm positive that they had many enlightning articles on the players of those eras.

[La Frescobaldi]

Random question - How would you compare Thurmond to Artis Gilmore stylistically on defense (Nate was certainly more effective on that end IMO, but I'm interested in hearing your piece)?

Nate was better than A-Train at team defense. Nate's voice would get all gravelly as a game went on.... that voice was a lash to his teammates, getting them into the proper positions, layering the defense so guards had to get through two or three guys before Nate lowered the boom right down on their heads. Gilmore was more "in the system" where Nate WAS the system in some ways.

But one-on-one? I doubt there's been very many Centers that could handle Nate at his best. Shaq & Wilt surely, possibly Moses too .... a better study, to me would be Nate vs. Hakeem rather than the great Artis. Nate is much closer to Bill Russell's style - and quality - than he is to Artis.

Gilmore was a great rim protecter, and in his earlier years a real speedster in the transition; he was incredibly strong and once he had position on you..... it was over, you might as well do something else. But he didn't get the full dose of Chamberlain Russell Reed Bells like Nate did and possibly spending his years in the ABA gave him a different perspective than he might have had if he had come straight to the NBA. Different style over there

[fpliii]

Nate was better than A-Train at team defense. Nate's voice would get all gravelly as a game went on.... that voice was a lash to his teammates, getting them into the proper positions, layering the defense so guards had to get through two or three guys before Nate lowered the boom right down on their heads. Gilmore was more "in the system" where Nate WAS the system in some ways.

But one-on-one? I doubt there's been very many Centers that could handle Nate at his best. Shaq & Wilt surely, possibly Moses too .... a better study, to me would be Nate vs. Hakeem rather than the great Artis. Nate is much closer to Bill Russell's style - and quality - than he is to Artis.

Gilmore was a great rim protecter, and in his earlier years a real speedster in the transition; he was incredibly strong and once he had position on you..... it was over, you might as well do something else. But he didn't get the full dose of Chamberlain Russell Reed Bells like Nate did and possibly spending his years in the ABA gave him a different perspective than he might have had if he had come straight to the NBA. Different style over there

Thanks for the response, great information from yourself and jlauber on the matter.

[senelcoolidge]

That's obviously photo shopped. Thurmond was a 6 foot 2 white unathletic center, which were very common in the 60's. Good job.

[LAZERUSS]

For those who might be interested...(and thanks to Julizaver)

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=291462

I am posting the aggregated stats of Kareem against Nate Thurmond during the period 1969 - 1973 season by season, as in that period both players met 3 times in the playoffs and in total of 34 times (including the regular season meetings):

1969 - 1970 (Kareem's rookie season) 3 games - reg.season

Kareem - 42.0 mpg 21.67 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, 0.348 FG/FGA

Nate ---- 46.7 mpg 20.67 ppg, 17.0 rpg, 3.3 apg, 0.490 FG/FGA




1970 - 1971 6 games - reg.season

Kareem - 26.67 ppg, 14.7 rpg, 0.484 FG/FGA

Nate ---- 23.83 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 0.477 FG/FGA


1970 - 1971 5 games - playoffs

Kareem - 39.2 mpg 27.8 ppg, 15.6 rpg, 0.6 apg, 0.486 FG/FGA

Nate ---- 38.4 mpg 17.60 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 3.0 apg, 0.371 FG/FGA




1971 - 1972 3 games - reg.season

Kareem - 24.00 ppg, 16.3 rpg, 0.441 FG/FGA

Nate ---- 16.33 ppg, 12.3 rpg, 0.260 FG/FGA


1971 - 1972 5 games - playoffs

Kareem - 47.0 mpg 22.8 ppg, 19.0 rpg, 5.4 apg, 0.405 FG/FGA

Nate ---- 46.0 mpg 25.40 ppg, 17.8 rpg, 5.2 apg, 0.434 FG/FGA




1972 - 1973 6 games - reg.season

Kareem - 25.83 ppg, 13.7 rpg, 0.488 FG/FGA

Nate ---- 13.67 ppg, 15.0 rpg, 0.367 FG/FGA


1972 - 1973 6 games - playoffs

Kareem - 46.0 mpg 22.83 ppg, 16.2 rpg, 2.8 apg, 0.428 FG/FGA

Nate ---- 42.5 mpg 13.5 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 3.2 apg, 0.423 FG/FGA

[Blue&Orange]

So at least there were 4 real centers back then!

Well that's 4 times more than today.


weak era.

[Pushxx]

Great interview. Repped.

[jongib369]

KAJ and Thurmond had 40 h2h games, and Kareem had a total of seven games of 30+ against Thurmond (and seven below 20 BTW), with a high game of 34 points.

A prime Chamberlain, from their last h2h in the 64-65 season, thru their nine h2h's in the 65-66 season, and even including their first h2h in the 66-67 season (in a season in which Wilt dramatically cut back his scoring), and covering 11 straight games, had six with 30+, including outscoring Nate by margins of 33-17, 33-10, 38-15, and 45-13.

Kareem had three straight playoff series in which he shot .486, .428, and .405 against Thurmond. In his three playoff series against Thurmond, Chamberlain outshot Nate by margins of .500 to .392; .550 to .398; and .560 to .343 (and the last one was in Nate's greatest season.)

Have you ever seen or heard Bill Russell comment on Thurmond? When I get the chance to I'd like to check out their head2head

[Marlo_Stanfield]

Great interview until he called Oscar and Jordan better than Wilt

[feyki]

Pleasure to read .