Al Attles

Last updated • 4 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Al Attles
Al Attles 1970 (cropped).JPG
Attles with the San Francisco Warriors in 1970
Personal information
Born(1936-11-07)November 7, 1936
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedAugust 20, 2024(2024-08-20) (aged 87)
Oakland, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High school Weequahic (Newark, New Jersey)
College North Carolina A&T (1956–1960)
NBA draft 1960: 5th round, 39th overall pick
Selected by the Philadelphia Warriors
Playing career1960–1971
Position Point guard
Number16
Coaching career1968–1983, 1994–1995
Career history
As player:
1960–1971 Philadelphia / San Francisco Warriors
As coach:
1968–1970 San Francisco Warriors (assistant)
1970–1983 San Francisco / Golden State Warriors
1994–1995 Golden State Warriors (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As coach:

Career playing statistics
Points 6,328 (8.9 ppg)
Rebounds 2,463 (3.5 rpg)
Assists 2,483 (3.5 apg)
Stats at NBA.com  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Stats at Basketball Reference  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Career coaching record
NBA557–518 (.518)
Basketball Hall of Fame

Alvin Austin Attles Jr. (November 7, 1936 – August 20, 2024) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and executive who spent his entire career with the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed the "Destroyer", he played the point guard position.

Contents

Attles was selected by the Warriors in the 1960 NBA draft and played 11 seasons with the team, including moving with the team from Philadelphia to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1962. He took over as player-coach during the 1970–71 season, his last as a player. He remained the team's head coach after his playing retirement and led the Warriors to an NBA championship in 1975. He stepped down as head coach in 1983 and then served as general manager for the Warriors from 1983 to 1986. Attles was employed by the Warriors for the rest of his life, serving in roles including team ambassador and community relations representative.

Attles's number 16 was retired by the Warriors in 1977. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.

Biography

Early life

Attles was born in Newark, New Jersey, to Alvin Sr. and Geraldine Attles. [1] His father worked as a railway porter. [1] Attles was a graduate of Weequahic High School in Newark. [2] He held a bachelor's degree in Physical Education and History from North Carolina A&T State University. [3] Before the Warriors drafted him he intended to return to Newark and coach at his local junior high school. He initially declined before accepting and going to training camp. [4]

Playing career

Attles was drafted by the then-Philadelphia Warriors in 1960 as a fifth-round selection. [5] On March 2, 1962, he was the team's second-leading scorer with 17 points, shooting a perfect 8-of-8 on field goals and 1-of-1 on free throws, on the night Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points. [5] [6] [7] Attles moved with the team to the Bay Area at the end of the 1962 season, playing until 1971. [5] Attles was known as "the Destroyer" due to his defensive specialities along with once punching a player in the jaw. [8] He was a reserve on the 1964 Warriors team (with Wilt Chamberlain and Guy Rodgers) that reached the NBA Finals and lost to the Boston Celtics, four games to one. [9] [10] Attles also played on the Warriors' 1967 team that lost to Chamberlain's 68–13 Philadelphia 76ers in a six-game championship series. [10]

Coaching career

Attles was named player-coach of the Warriors midway through the 1969–70 season, [11] succeeding George Lee. He was one of the first African-American head coaches in the NBA. [5] He retired as a player after the 1970–71 season, [5] and stayed on as head coach, guiding the Rick Barry-led Warriors to the 1975 NBA championship over the heavily favored Washington Bullets, [4] making him the second African-American coach to win an NBA title (the first was Bill Russell). Attles's team tried to repeat the following season, but they lost to the Phoenix Suns in the conference finals in seven games. [4] The team would make the playoffs only once more for the remainder of his tenure as coach. Attles tore his Achilles tendon during the 1979–80 season and missed 21 games which were covered by his assistant Johnny Bach. [12]

Attles coached the Warriors until 1983, [5] compiling a 557–518 regular-season record (588–548 including playoffs) with six playoff appearances in 14 seasons. From 1983 to 1986, Attles worked as the Warriors' general manager. [13] He is the longest-serving coach in Warriors history, [13] and also has the most wins in franchise history. [5]

Attles returned as an assistant coach for the Warriors for the 1994–95 season. [14]

Death

Attles died at his East Bay, California, home on August 20, 2024, at the age of 87. [1] [15] He had spent weeks in hospice care. [16]

Honors

Attles's no. 16 banner hanging amongst others in Oakland Arena Golden State Warriors retired jersey.jpg
Attles's no. 16 banner hanging amongst others in Oakland Arena

In 2014, Attles was the recipient of the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award, an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to an individual who has contributed significantly to the sport of basketball; the award is the Basketball Hall of Fame's highest honor besides enshrinement. [5]

Attles's number 16 is retired by the Warriors. [5] He also served as a team ambassador. [17] On February 7, 2015, Attles's number 22 was retired by North Carolina A&T, the first ever retired by the team. [18] He was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. [5]

Attles was on the Warriors' payroll in one capacity or another for over 60 years, the longest stint of any person for one team. [15] He was one of the last living members of the franchise who dates to their time in Philadelphia. Attles was working as a community relations representative at the time of his death. [1]

In 2017, Attles was named a recipient of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award. [19]

On April 6, 2019, Attles was chosen as a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. [20]

Personal life

Attles at the Warriors' championship parade in 2015 Al Attles (18942789466).jpg
Attles at the Warriors' championship parade in 2015

Attles married his wife, Wilhelmina Rice, in 1964; his Warriors teammate, Wilt Chamberlain, was his best man. [21] The couple have two children, Alvin III and Ericka. [21] He has four grandchildren and one great-grandson. One of his grandsons, Isaiah Attles, played college basketball for the Alcorn State Braves. [22] Attles was friends with Bill Cosby and Les McCann. [21] Attles was Catholic. [23]

In 1983, Attles received a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of San Francisco. [24]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage 3P%  3-point field goal percentage FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high
 † Won an NBA championship  * Led the league

Playing

NBA

Source [25]

Regular season
YearTeamGPMPGFG%FT%RPGAPGPPG
1960–61 Philadelphia 7720.1.409.5992.82.37.0
1961–62 Philadelphia 7532.9.474.5924.74.411.3
1962–63 San Francisco 7126.4.478.6462.92.610.4
1963–64 San Francisco 7026.9.452.6733.42.810.9
1964–65 San Francisco 7323.7.384.6243.32.89.4
1965–66 San Francisco 7926.0.503.6114.12.811.2
1966–67 San Francisco 6925.6.454.5834.73.97.4
1967–68 San Francisco 6729.7.467.6944.15.89.8
1968–69 San Francisco 5129.7.451.6383.56.08.2
1969–70 San Francisco 4515.0.386.6641.63.25.1
1970–71 San Francisco 349.4.407.5851.21.72.0
Career71125.1.451.6323.53.58.9
Playoffs
YearTeamGPMPGFG%FT%RPGAPGPPG
1961 Philadelphia 336.7.462.3574.03.09.7
1962 Philadelphia 1228.2.368.5484.62.36.1
1964 San Francisco 12*32.2.403.5363.12.512.2
1967 San Francisco 15*15.8.435.3754.12.53.1
1968 San Francisco 1027.7.403.7675.37.07.3
1969 San Francisco 618.2.333.2503.03.52.5
1971 San Francisco 411.8.571.5712.02.83.0
Career6224.3.403.5444.03.36.4

Head coaching record

Source [26]

Legend
Regular seasonGGames coachedWGames wonLGames lostW–L %Win–loss %
PlayoffsPGPlayoff gamesPWPlayoff winsPLPlayoff lossesPW–L %Playoff win–loss %
TeamYearGWLW–L%FinishPGPWPLPW–L%Result
San Francisco 1969–70 30822.2676th in Western—————
San Francisco 1970–71 824141.5002nd in Pacific514.200Lost in Conf. Semifinals
Golden State 1971–72 825131.6222nd in Pacific514.200Lost in Conf. Semifinals
Golden State 1972–73 824735.5732nd in Pacific1156.455Lost in Conf. Finals
Golden State 1973–74 824438.5372nd in Pacific—————
Golden State 1974–75 824834.5851st in Pacific17125.706Won NBA Championship
Golden State 1975–76 825923.7201st in Pacific1376.538Lost in Conf. Finals
Golden State 1976–77 824636.5613rd in Pacific1055.500Lost in Conf. Semifinals
Golden State 1977–78 824339.5245th in Pacific—————
Golden State 1978–79 823844.4636th in Pacific—————
Golden State 1979–80 611843.2956th in Pacific—————
Golden State 1980–81 823943.4764th in Pacific—————
Golden State 1981–82 824537.5494th in Pacific—————
Golden State 1982–83 823052.3665th in Pacific—————
Career1,075557518.518613130.508

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden State Warriors</span> National Basketball Association team in San Francisco, California

The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 in Philadelphia, the Warriors moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1962 and took the city's name before changing its geographic moniker to Golden State in 1971. The club plays its home games at Chase Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilt Chamberlain</span> American basketball player (1936–1999)

Wilton Norman Chamberlain was an American professional basketball player. Standing 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) tall, he played center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Chamberlain was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978 and elected to the NBA's 35th, 50th, and 75th anniversary teams. Following his professional basketball career, Chamberlain played volleyball in the short-lived International Volleyball Association (IVA). He served one term as league president and is enshrined in the IVA Hall of Fame. Renowned for his strength, he played the antagonist in the 1984 Arnold Schwarzenegger film Conan the Destroyer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nate Thurmond</span> American basketball player (1941–2016)

Nathaniel Thurmond was an American basketball player who spent the majority of his 14-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Golden State Warriors franchise. He played the center and power forward positions. Thurmond was a seven-time All-Star and the first player in NBA history to record an official quadruple-double. In 1965, he grabbed 42 rebounds in a game; only Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell recorded more rebounds in an NBA game. Thurmond was named a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985, one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, and part of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Arizin</span> American basketball player (1928–2006)

Paul Joseph Arizin, nicknamed "'Pitchin Paul", was an American basketball player who spent his entire National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Philadelphia Warriors from 1950 to 1962. He retired with the third highest career point total (16,266) in NBA history, and was named to the NBA's 25th, 50th and 75th anniversary teams. He was a high-scoring forward at Villanova University before being drafted by the Warriors of the fledgling NBA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Gola</span> American basketball player and politician (1933–2014)

Thomas Joseph Gola was an American basketball player and politician. He is widely considered one of the greatest NCAA basketball players of all time. Gola was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Russell</span> American basketball player and coach (1934–2022)

William Felton Russell was an American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career. Russell is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wes Unseld</span> American basketball player and coach (1946–2020)

Westley Sissel Unseld Sr. was an American professional basketball player, coach and executive. He spent his entire National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets. Unseld played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals and was selected with the second overall pick by the Bullets in the 1968 NBA draft. He was named the NBA Most Valuable Player and NBA Rookie of the Year during his rookie season and joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only two players in NBA history to accomplish the feat. Unseld won an NBA championship with the Bullets in 1978, and the Finals MVP award to go with it. After retiring from playing in 1981, he worked with the Bullets/Wizards as a vice president, head coach, and general manager.

The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, also referred to as NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, were chosen in 1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the third anniversary team in the league. Fifty players were selected through a vote by a panel of media members, former players and coaches, and current and former general managers. In addition, the top ten head coaches and top ten single-season teams in NBA history were selected by media members as part of the celebration. The 50 players had to have played at least a portion of their careers in the NBA and were selected irrespective of position played.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Hannum</span> American basketball player and coach (1923–2002)

Alexander Murray Hannum was a professional basketball player and coach. Hannum coached two National Basketball Association (NBA) teams and one American Basketball Association (ABA) team to league championships. He had a combined NBA-ABA record of 649–564 (.535) in the regular season and 61–46 (.570) in the playoffs over 16 seasons. In 1998, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Cunningham</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1943)

William John Cunningham is an American former professional basketball player and coach, who was nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid for his leaping and record-setting rebounding abilities. He spent a total of 17 seasons with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, and two seasons as a player with the Carolina Cougars of the ABA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy Rodgers</span> American basketball player from Philadelphia

Guy William Rodgers was an American professional basketball player born in Philadelphia. He spent twelve years (1958–1970) in the NBA, and was one of the league's best playmakers in the early to mid-1960s. Rodgers led the NBA in assists twice, and placed second six times. Rodgers was inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Sharman</span> American basketball player and coach (1926–2013)

William Walton Sharman was an American professional basketball player and coach. He is mostly known for his time with the Boston Celtics in the 1950s, partnering with Bob Cousy in what was then considered the greatest backcourt duo of all time. As a coach, Sharman won titles in the ABL, ABA, and NBA, and is credited with introducing the now-ubiquitous morning shootaround.

Donald Neil Johnston was an American basketball player and coach. A center, Johnston played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1951 to 1959. He was a member of the Philadelphia Warriors for his entire career. Known for his hook shot, Johnston was a six-time NBA All-Star; he led the NBA in scoring three times and led the league in rebounding once. He won an NBA championship with the Warriors in 1956. After his playing career ended due to a knee injury, Johnston coached in the NBA, in other professional basketball leagues, and at the collegiate level. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Scott (basketball)</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1938)

John Raymond Scott is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He was the first African American NBA coach to win the coach of the year award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie Gottlieb</span> Ukrainian-American basketball coach and executive (1898–1979)

Edward Gottlieb was a Jewish-Ukrainian professional basketball coach and executive. Nicknamed "Mr. Basketball" and "The Mogul", he was the first coach and manager of the Philadelphia Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and later became the owner of the team from 1951 to 1962. A native of Kiev, Ukraine, he was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor on April 20, 1972. The NBA Rookie of the Year Award, the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, was formerly named after him.

The 1959 NBA draft was the 13th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on March 31, 1959, before the 1959–60 season. In this draft, eight NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. In each round, the teams select in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season. The draft consisted of 14 rounds comprising 85 players selected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game</span> NBA record-setting basketball game

Wilt Chamberlain set the single-game scoring record in the National Basketball Association (NBA) by scoring 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 169–147 win over the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962, at Hershey Sports Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States. It is widely considered one of the greatest records in the sport's history. Chamberlain set five other league records that game, including most free throws made, a notable achievement, as he was regarded as a poor free throw shooter. The teams broke the record for most combined points in a game (316).

The 1961–62 Philadelphia Warriors season was the sixteenth season for the National Basketball Association franchise in Philadelphia, and the last before their relocation to San Francisco, California, for the following season.

Gary Weir Hill was an American professional basketball player. Before playing professional basketball in the NBA, Hill came from Rocky, Oklahoma, where Bud, Henry and Ron Koper, Jay and Dennis Harris and Steve Fite came from before starring at Oklahoma City University. They became known as the Rocky Rockets. Hill scored 2,739 points and averaged 24.5 points, setting state records and becoming an all-American during his high-school career.

The following are the basketball events of the year 2024 throughout the world.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Goldstein, Richard (August 21, 2024). "Al Attles, a Golden State Warrior in Name and in Spirit, Dies at 87". The New York Times. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  2. ↑ Johnson, Roy S. "ATTLES COACHES IN A PERSONAL WAY", The New York Times , January 28, 1982. Retrieved November 22, 2007.
  3. ↑ "Alvin Attles". NBA.com . Archived from the original on October 17, 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 Ostler, Scott (January 11, 2010). "50 years on, reluctant Warrior Al Attles is the team's mainstay". Sfgate.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Al Attles, former Warriors player, coach, GM, dies at 87". ESPN. August 21, 2024.
  6. ↑ Jenkins, Bruce (August 21, 2024). "Al Attles embodied the Warriors for a lifetime, from Philadelphia to Golden State". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Wilt's 100-Point Game Box Score". Philadelphia 76ers . NBA.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  8. ↑ Rhoden, William C. (May 27, 2015). "Al Attles, a Warrior for Life, is a Bridge to a Lone Bay Area Title". The New York Times.
  9. ↑ Van Niekerken, Bill (April 29, 2019). "Warriors' first drive to the playoffs in 1964 full of classic moments". SFGate. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  10. 1 2 Lerseth, Michael (June 3, 2015). "Warriors' 1st 2 visits to the NBA Finals". SFGate. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  11. ↑ Barry McDermott (April 21, 1975). "Attles Battles No Longer". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  12. ↑ Wolff, Alexander (June 27, 1983). "Bench-jockeying, NBA style". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  13. 1 2 "A Warrior for Life: Remembering Al Attles". NBA.com. August 21, 2024.
  14. ↑ Call, Tommy (August 21, 2024). "Warriors franchise legend Al Attles dies at age 87". Yahoo! Sports.
  15. 1 2 "Warriors Legend Alvin Attles Passes Away At 87". NBA. August 21, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  16. ↑ Al Attles, Warriors' most enduring, selfless legend, dies at 87
  17. ↑ "Warriors staff directory". NBA.com . Archived from the original on November 13, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
  18. ↑ "North Carolina A&T to Retire Alvin Attles' Number". January 28, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Al Attles, Hubie Brown recipients of 2017 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award". nba.com. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  20. ↑ Attles III, Alvin (September 6, 2019). "On the occasion of his father's induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, a son pays tribute". Bay Area News Group.
  21. 1 2 3 Thompson II, Marcus (April 4, 2019). "Thompson: Known for his toughness, Warriors legend Al Attles' strength comes from his wife's love". The Athletic. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  22. ↑ Spears, Marc J. (May 21, 2019). "Warriors patriarch Al Attles will return to Oracle one last time". Andscape. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Smallwood Praises Al Attles". The A&T Register. September 19, 1975. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Al Attles: Warriors NBA Legend". Hayward Rotary Club. February 8, 2016.
  25. ↑ "Al Attles NBA playing stats". Basketball Reference . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Al Attles: Coaching Record, Awards". Basketball Reference . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.