21 Hall of Famers you had no idea played with each other
By Cal Durrett
Throughout NBA history, virtually all of the greatest teams have had multiple star players, many of whom have gone on to make the Basketball Hall of Fame. After all, it takes talent to win a championship and in the early years of the NBA, there were only a handful of teams before expansion, the advent of free agency, and the increase in trades.
Once both of those things began to occur, it forever changed the NBA, with more teams having a chance to acquire stars and build a contender through other means than the draft. We already know about the more famous Hall of Fame pairings like Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, as well as Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, but what about the lesser-known Hall of Fame pairings? Let's take a look at the 21 Hall of Fame pairings that you forgot existed.
21) Wilt Chamberlain and Nate Thurmond
NBA legend Nate Thurmond is one of the lesser-known Hall of Famers from his era, despite being a dominant player during his heyday. Thurmond was a seven-time all-star during his 14-year career and was known for his mastery of the glass, even earning the nickname "The Chairman of the Boards," which is obviously cool.
Over a five-year span, Mr. Chairman averaged at least 17.7 rebounds, with the highest total coming during the 1967–68 season, when he snagged 22 boards per game. That is Wilt Chamberlain-esque, which is ironic because they were actually teammates on the San Francisco Warriors during the 1963–64 and 1964–65 seasons.
Actually, they even started alongside one another for half a season in 1963–64 prior to Chamberlain being dealt back to Philadelphia to play with the 76ers. Chamberlain averaged a stellar 38.9 points and 23.5 rebounds per game, while Thurmond averaged "just" 16.5 points and 18.1 rebounds per game. Imagine having to box those behemoths out!
Once Chamberlain was shipped out, Thurmond slid up to center and made six all-star teams during his 11 seasons with the Warriors, proving to be a worthy replacement for an all-time great.