SAN FRANCISCO -- Former NBA great Nate Thurmond died Saturday after a short battle with leukemia .
Former NBA great Nate Thurmond is a tenacious defensive center who played with Wilt Chamberlain and was an iconic sports figure in two cities .
SAN FRANCISCO -- Former NBA great Nate Thurmond , a tenacious defensive center who played with Wilt Chamberlain and was an iconic sports figure in two cities , died Saturday after a short battle with leukemia .