Al Attles, a Hall of Famer who coached the 1975 NBA champion Warriors and spent more than six decades with the organization as a player, general manager and, most recently, team ambassador, has died. He was 87.
The Warriors announced Wednesday that Attles died in his East Bay home Tuesday surrounded by family.
Nicknamed “The Destroyer” for his physical style of play, the Warriors were his love and his only team after they selected him in the fifth round of the 1960 draft. It marks the longest stint with a single franchise for one person in league history. The 6-foot-0 guard averaged 8.9 points, 3.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 711 games with the Warriors over 11 seasons, and his No. 16 jersey was retired by the franchise.
Attles, one of the first Black head coaches in the NBA, was witness to some of the greatest games in different eras. He played in Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game for the Philadelphia Warriors in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on March 2, 1962. Attles made all eight of his field goal tries for 17 points.
He also coached Hall of Famer Rick Barry the day he scored 64 against Portland on March 26, 1974, and watched Klay Thompson drop 60 points over three quarters in December 2016.
Attles coached the Warriors from 1970 to 1983, leading them to the 1975 NBA championship with a four-game sweep of the Washington Bullets. He later served as general manager for three seasons and held roles in the front office as vice president and consultant.
“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 was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2019. He was previously honored by the Hall of Fame with the John R. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.
“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.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.