On this day in 1974, Chicago Bulls center Nate Thurmond became the first player in NBA history to complete a quadruple double. He recorded 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, and 12 blocks. To date, only three other players have accomplished the same feat. In Thurmond’s 14 seasons in the league, he gained a reputation for being a strong defender. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar called Thurmond the toughest defender he ever faced during his 20-season professional career. In the 1967-68 season, Thurmond averaged 18.7 points, 21.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. He placed second to Wilt Chamberlain in the MVP balloting that year. Thurmond’s other accolades include 5x NBA All-Defensive Team selections, 7x NBA All-Star, and a game where he grabbed a ridiculous 42 rebounds. Thurmond was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985 and his no.42 was retired by both the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
