Nate the Great: Former 7-foot-1 Chippewa center passes away, leaves legacy
Nate Huffman’s passion for the game of basketball was displayed by the NBA logo tattooed on his arm.
Although the former Central Michigan basketball player passed away Thursday, Oct. 15 from cancer, Huffman fulfilled his lifelong dream by playing professional basketball in the NBA and overseas.
Huffman was diagnosed with stage IV bladder cancer on Sept. 29. The Lakeview native’s battle came to an end at the age of 40.
“When (Nate) called me (having cancer), it was just a state of shock,” said Huffman’s best friend of 23 years, Josh Loye. “You don’t ever want or anticipate having a phone call like that especially at our age. To be honest it’s still not completely real for me.”
Huffman leaves behind his wife Michelle Huffman, and son Christian.
“He was really down to earth,” Michelle said. “He didn’t brag about his career at all. He was very loving and kind. He was someone I could confide in, and he would comfort me. I will miss him tremendously.”
Aside from his career on the court, Huffman was a man that loved music and conversations beyond sports.
“We all had a passion for music,” said Travis Huffman, Nate’s older brother. “He loved Pearl Jam. They were number one. He saw them probably 20 to 25 times (in concert).”
Travis said off the court, Nate was one of the funniest people he ever knew.
“(Nate) had a sense of humor that was one of a kind,” he said. “I just didn’t know where it would come from — it was just so off the wall. He was a genius with some of the stuff he would come up with.”
Huffman's basketball career took off once he grew to be 7-foot-1 around his sophomore year of high school. It was then that people noticed Nate’s potential.
Nate and Travis would play basketball with their father on Monday nights along with men in their 50s, and even though Nate was young, Travis said he was still dominant.
“Nate was able to dribble and shoot from the outside. Nobody would let you do that when you were that tall,” Travis said. “He was able to do those things when we played with all of those guys my dad’s age. That’s where he honed in on his skills that made him better than most, and let him play at the next level.”
Before playing center for the Chippewas, Huffman began his collegiate career at Lansing Community College in 1994.
Huffman transferred to CMU in 1996 where he became the first 7-foot player in school history, earning Mid-American Conference first team honors for his all-around play.
The Los Angeles Clippers signed Huffman as a free-agent out of college, but cut him before the season started. That didn’t stop his drive to play the game he loved, as he started his professional career in the Continental Basketball Association for the Idaho Stampede.
His journey to find a way back to the NBA continued overseas, where he played in various professional leagues.
He became known as “Nate the Great” for his outstanding play with Maccabi Tel Aviv, a team in the Israel Premiere League.
From 1999-2002, Huffman became a star and was named Most Valuable Player of the IPL, as well as the FIBA SuproLeague. He was also voted the best American player in Europe.
Huffman finally found a home in the NBA in 2002 when he signed with the Toronto Raptors. The summer prior to Nate’s debut with the Raptors, Huffman and Loye lived in Los Angeles as Huffman trained for the upcoming season.
During that time, Huffman would work out twice a day once in the morning with a personal trainer, and once at night in the gym perfecting his craft. Loye said because of his work ethic, Huffman was able to live out his dream.
“I know how hard he worked,” Loye said. “So I wasn’t surprised. If you’d had asked me in 1992, I would have said ‘no way,’ but that’s just because we didn’t know. But by the time I saw him in 2000 to 2002, I knew he was going to be (in the NBA).”
Due to a severe knee injury, Huffman only played in seven games with Toronto. His dream however, was still accomplished.
“I was his biggest fan in my opinion,” Travis said. “I got to see him play in the pros, and what an incredible feeling to see your own brother play at that kind of level. I was proud of him. All the time I got to see him play I was just extremely happy.”
Even though he couldn’t play again, Huffman still wanted to give back. In 2005, he and fellow retired player Constantin Popa founded a basketball camp for children in order to give them a chance to reach their dreams just like Huffman had.
“He had a huge heart,” Loye said. “He was loyal like you wouldn’t believe. If you were in with Nate, you were in 100 percent. At the drop of a hat he would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it.”
A GoFundMe account was created to help Huffman as he fought against cancer. The account is still active, now raising money to support his wife and son. The account has raised more than $7,800 as of Sunday.
“It was a heartwarming thing that was very helpful,” Michelle said. “It was just a blessing to not have to be stressed out about things.”
Two days before Huffman passed away, Travis, with the help of others, was able to get Nate inducted into the Lakeview High School Hall of Fame.
“I brought the plaque that would hang in the school and a personal one he got to hold onto and showed it to him,” Travis said. “He understood what it was. That was probably the last thing I said besides ‘I love you.’”
Huffman’s family has continued to receive support through social media. Following his passing, his former team Tel Aviv wore black ribbons in support of him. The team also held a brief ceremony during the day of Huffman’s funeral Thursday, Oct 22.
The team wrote on Twitter, “The Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball Club deeply grieves the passing of Nate Huffman, one of the club's greatest players and a wonderful person.”
