Former Warriors Player, Coach, GM Attles Dies

The NBA family has lost one of its pillars. Basketball Hall of Famer and Golden State Warriors legend Al Attles died Tuesday at the age of 87, the Warriors announced on Wednesday.

Attles, who was a member of the Hall of Fame class of 2019, served the Warriors in many capacities, as a player, coach and general manager of the franchise for over twenty years.

“Alvin leaves behind a profound legacy within the game of basketball and the Bay Area community, but especially as a family man and humanitarian,” the Warriors said in a statement. “We mourn his loss alongside his wife, Wilhelmina, son Alvin, and all who knew and loved him.”

Attles, born November 7, 1936 in Newark, New Jersey, was nicknamed “The Destroyer” for his physical and intense style of play on the hardwood, and was selected by the Philadelphia Warriors in the fifth round of the 1960 draft out of North Carolina A&T. He played in 711 games in his career and averaged 8.9 points, 3.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds. When the legendary Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a game between the Warriors and New York Knicks at Hershey Sports Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania on March 2, 1962, Attles contributed 11 points.

After his playing days were over, Attles did not waste any time transitioning into coaching and became one of the first Black head coaches in NBA history. He coached the Warriors for 14 seasons, from 1970 to 1983, and led the team to the 1975 NBA championship with a four-game sweep of the Washington Bullets.

He also coached Hall of Famer Rick Barry the day he scored 64 against the Portland Trailblazers on March 26, 1974, and witnessed Klay Thompson drop 60 points over three quarters in December 2016.

“My heart is heavy today with the loss of my mentor and friend. Al was my roommate during my rookie season in the league. He taught me valuable lessons on being a professional that couldn’t be learned on the court,” Barry said in a statement released by the Warriors. “Later, as our coach during the 1975 championship season, he exemplified leadership, togetherness and a keen strategic ability that enabled us to succeed at the highest level.”

Attles then moved upstairs, taking over as general manager of the Warriors for three seasons and held vice president and consultant roles in the front office. His No. 16 jersey hangs from the rafters and was retired by the franchise.

In addition to his enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 2019, Attles was previously honored five years earlier with the Hall of Fame’s John R. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. Attles was a co-recipient of the 2017 National Basketball Coaches Association’s Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award. He joined the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.

“Most of the great organizations with a lot of history have one player who everybody associates with that franchise,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Al Attles is that guy for us. He’s the face of our franchise for many generations of Warriors fans. We’re lucky to have him.”