“Wilt Was the Great One”: Nate Thurmond Reflects on His Historic Quadruple-Double—And Why It Was Wilt Chamberlain Who Truly Did It First
When Nate Thurmond recorded the first official quadruple-double in NBA history on October 18, 1974, the basketball world took notice. His stat line—22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, and 12 blocks—was a marvel of all-around excellence. But if you ask Thurmond himself, even in the glow of that historic moment, the spotlight still belonged to one man:
“Wilt was the great one. Let’s get that straight.”
In a candid reflection years later, Thurmond pulled no punches in crediting the real pioneer of the quadruple-double—Wilt Chamberlain, the larger-than-life force of basketball nature who dominated the league in ways that numbers couldn’t always capture.
“Yeah, I was the first recorded quadruple-double,” Thurmond said with a slight smile, “but let’s be real—Wilt had a dozen of those before they even started counting blocks and steals.”
Playing Beside a Legend
Thurmond played alongside Chamberlain in the early stages of his career, learning firsthand what it meant to share the paint with a player who seemed almost mythological. Wilt’s strength was unmatched, his basketball IQ unmatched, and his statistical output? Practically alien.
“I saw Wilt have nights where he’d block 20 shots, get 10 assists, and walk off like it was just another game,” Thurmond recalled. “Only difference is, nobody had a stat sheet to prove it back then.”
It wasn’t until the 1973-74 season that the NBA officially began recording blocks and steals, leaving a canyon of unaccounted statistical greatness in the years prior. For Thurmond, that omission is one of the great injustices in basketball history.
“There’s no doubt in my mind—Wilt had triple-doubles and quadruple-doubles long before anyone was tracking them. That man would lead the league in assists just to prove he could.”
The First Official—But Not the First Ever
Nate’s own achievement, while groundbreaking in the record books, was more a continuation of Wilt’s silent legacy than a standalone feat. He didn’t downplay what he accomplished—but he refused to pretend he was the first to do what Wilt had already done so many times under dimmed spotlights and quiet box scores.
“I was proud of that game. But in my heart? I was just following in Wilt’s footsteps. He made it possible for big men like me to believe we could do it all—score, pass, rebound, protect the rim.”
Wilt: The Greatest to Ever Do It
More than just stats, Thurmond sees Chamberlain as the embodiment of basketball excellence. While debates rage on about Jordan vs. LeBron, Thurmond never wavered:
“Wilt is the greatest player of all time. You had to be there to believe what he did. And even then, you’d still walk away shaking your head.”
He remembers practices, games, and locker rooms filled with awe. Teammates would glance at the scoreboard, and without realizing it, Wilt had 40 and 25 with double-digit blocks—and still seemed like he was pacing himself.
“He played the game like it was chess, and the rest of us were just learning the rules.”
A Quiet Tribute From One Great to Another
Thurmond’s own place in NBA history is secure—one of the most dominant defenders the game has ever seen, and the original owner of the league’s first officially recorded quadruple-double. But the humility with which he frames his achievement speaks volumes.
“I was proud to make history. But Wilt? Wilt was history. Everything we did, he already did it better—and before anyone was watching.”
In the end, Nate Thurmond’s message is clear: basketball owes a debt to Wilt Chamberlain that numbers alone can’t repay. And if you want to talk about who really changed the game, don’t start with records. Start with the man who was the game’s measuring stick—before the league even knew how to measure him.
