Nate Thurmond
Selected by the Golden State Warriors as their first draft choice for the 1963-64 season, Nate Thurmond completed 11 seasons. He was considered by many as the best rebounder in the game. An excellent scorer, he had five consecutive seasons averaging over 20 points per game. In 1974, he became the only player to record […]
John Brodie
Born in San Francisco, John Brodie was raised in the East Bay, where he starred in football, baseball and basketball at Oakland Tech. At Stanford, he was selected All-American in 1956 and named the most valuable player of the 1957 East-West Shrine Game. Selected as the 49ers’ first-round draft choice in 1957, he spent his […]
Rick Barry
Rick Barry was selected Rookie of the Year after joining the Golden State Warriors for the 1966-67 season. His scoring average as a rookie was 25.7. The next year, his scoring average rose to 35.6, the best in the NBA. He was selected to the NBA All-Star Team eight times and named the most valuable […]
Max Baer
Raised in Livermore, California, Max Baer began his boxing career in 1929, at age 20, in Oakland. He won his first twelve fights by knockouts. In 1933, wearing the Star of David on his trunks, he knocked out Max Schmeling, “the fighting pride of Nazi Germany,” in the tenth round. On June 14, 1934, at […]
Wilver “Willie” Dornell Stargell
A multi-sport star at Alameda’s Encinal High School, Willie Stargell was the inspirational leader of the Pittsburgh Pirates and its captain. All of his 21 seasons were with the Pirates, where he crushed 475 home runs, twice leading the NL, with 48 in 1971 and with 44 in 1973. He drove in 1,540 runs and […]
Jim Pollard
Born in Oakland in 1922, Jim Pollard starred at Oakland Tech High School. As a member of Stanford’s 1942 NCAA Championship Team, he won high-scoring honors and was named to the All-Tournament Team. He played eight NBA seasons (1948-1955) with the Minneapolis Lakers, who won five NBA championships. He was elected to the Naismith Basketball […]
John Naber
After starting his swimming career at Woodside High School in Redwood City, Jim Naber attended USC, where he won 25 national AAU titles. At USC, he also set a record by winning 10 individual titles and led his team to four undefeated seasons. At the 1976 Olympic Games, he won four gold medals and one […]
Anthony M. Lazzeri
Born in San Francisco in 1906, Anthony Lazzeri developed his baseball skills at Jackson Playground in the Potrero District. He joined the New York Yankees in 1926, after hitting 60 home runs for the Salt Lake City Bees. A premier fielder as well as a hitter, he played second base, shortstop, and third. In his […]
George Blanda
As an Oakland Raider (1967-75), George Blanda set team records as the all-time scoring leader, with 863 points, and the single-season record, with 117 points. He was AFC Player of the Year in 1970 for his last-minute heroics, which brought the Raiders the championship. Blanda holds the NFL scoring record of 2,002 points; most PATS, […]
Tony Lema
Born in Oakland, Tony Lema had a meteoric golf career that ended in the fatal crash of a private plane in 1966. He was just 32 years old. From 1962-1966, he won 10 tour events, was second 11 times, and was third 4 times. He won the British Open in 1964 and was a member […]