By Pete Borello

When Nate Thurmond appears at a Golden State Warriors summer basketball camp, as he did last week in Los Altos Hills, he doesn’t critique the players’ post moves, defensive stances or jump shots.

It’s not like Thurmond isn’t qualified. After all, the former Warrior is in the Basketball Hall of Fame and considered among the best centers in NBA history.

The 6-foot-11 Thurmond is a big man who takes a big-picture approach when talking to youngsters.

“I don’t come to teach basketball skills,” he said shortly after addressing campers and signing autographs at Foothill College. “I talk about teamwork and cooperation, things that will serve them later in life. I stress the importance of working with other kids, making friends, being on time and being quiet when you need to be. I want them to develop their life skills.”

Skills, the soft-spoken Thurmond said, that have served him well in life.

“I haven’t been on the basketball court for several years,” he said, “but I impress upon them that at 61, the things I learned from basketball — like teamwork and intermingling — have stayed with me.”

Which explains why Thurmond so strongly believes that basketball can benefit the millions of young players who won’t be the next LeBron James.

“Out of 1,000, maybe one of them will become a professional player,” said Thurmond, who played in the NBA from 1963 to 1977. “But I hope it keeps them in school. If they’re good enough, they’ll stay in high school. If they’re good enough, they’ll go to college.”

Thurmond retired well before the 84 boys and girls at last week’s camp were born, but his presence seemed to have an impact on the 8- to 14-year-olds. He called them “an attentive group” and graciously posed for photos with several awed campers. Jeff Addiego, the Warriors’ Youth Basketball Manager, said Thurmond always does a great job connecting with the campers.

When Thurmond isn’t speaking to youngsters — something he’s done on behalf of the Warriors for more than a decade — he can often be found at his San Francisco restaurant, Big Nate’s Barbeque.

Thurmond, who played in the days before multimillion dollar shoe deals and NBA contracts that rivaled the gross national product of a small country, works five days a week at his Folsom Street eatery, established in 1990.

“The restaurant business in San Francisco is very competitive,” said Thurmond, whose son Adam runs Big Nate’s on the weekends “A lot of restaurants go out of business every year, and I’m fighting not be one of them.”

Thurmond spends his free time reading and taking weekend driving trips with his wife Marci. “I’m not too fond of planes,” he said.

Of course, Thurmond also enjoys watching basketball — particularly the Warriors.

Thurmond estimated that he went to at least 30 Warriors games last season and said the team is headed in the right direction under new coach Eric Musselman and an exciting cast of young players such as Gilbert Arenas, Jason Richardson and Troy Murphy.

Although he played for three NBA teams during his illustrious career, the Warriors have a special place in Thurmond’s heart. They drafted him third overall out of Bowling Green State University in 1963 and he played for the franchise until 1974, when he was traded to the Chicago Bulls.

Thurmond’s best playing days were with the Warriors: he made seven all-star games as a member of the team and remains Golden State’s career leader in rebounds (12,771).

Thurmond was elected to the hall of fame in 1985 and in 1996 was included on the list of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players.

The longtime San Francisco resident played with or against several players on that list, including Rick Barry, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The trim Thurmond, still close to his playing weight of 235 pounds, said the game has changed considerably since his era.

“The teamwork and fundamentals are lacking, but they are better as far as athleticism than when I played,” he said. “They can all dunk and go to their left. Not all of them could go left or dunk on guys when I played. The skills are up and the teamwork is down.”

Don’t ask him about the college game, though.

“My wife doesn’t let me watch it,” he said. “I watch enough pro basketball.”