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During the 2016-17 season, the Golden State Warrior wore a #42 patch in honor of team legend Nate Thurmond, who passed away the offseason prior after battling leukemia.
Thurmond played an instrumental role in the Warriors organization and was beloved by all, having spent four decades as both a player and front office member.
Thurmond was also the first player to record an official quadruple-double in 1974, when he tallied 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists and 12 blocks against the Atlanta Hawks.
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Nate Thurmond
Nate Thurmond was a basketball player and Warriors legend who played 11 of his 14 NBA seasons with the Golden State Warriors.
He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985, and had his jersey retired by the Warriors in 1978.
Moreover, Thurmond was a member of the Warrior’s community relations department.
All in all, he gave much of his life to the NBA and the Golden State franchise, so the Warriors saw it fit to honor him after his passing in 2016.
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What Other Teams Wear Patches?
Other teams have worn black patches to commemorate those that have made a substantial and meaningful impact to the organization and to the NBA as a whole.
For example, at the end of the 2019-2020 season, all teams wore black stripes in honor of David Stern, who was the commissioner of the NBA from1984 to 2012.
The black stripe has also been used by the Lakers, Magic, Bulls and many more.
Sometimes, the reason for wearing the black stripe has nothing to do with basketball. For example, the Celtics wore a black stripe after the horrific Boston bombings of 2013.
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What Other Patches Can Teams Use?
For example, the Lakers used a black patch with the initials “JB” to in memory of long-time owner Jerry Buss, and again used the initials “KB” to honor Kobe Bryant after the tragic accident in January 2020.
The Houston Rockets also used a blue and green striped patch to remember coach Kevin McHale’s daughter Sasha when she passed away.
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