OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — 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 that Attles died in his East Bay home, surrounded by family. The team did not disclose a cause of death.
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. He remained employed by Golden State until his death, with his 64-year stint the longest with a single franchise for one person in league history.
Attles, one of the first Black head coaches in the NBA, was witness to some of the greatest games spanning 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, then watched 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.”
His loss is another blow for the Bay Area sports community after the recent deaths of Giants baseball Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda.
Attles coached the Warriors to their first championship since moving West in 1975. Golden State finally won again 40 years later in 2015. His 557 coaching wins are the most in franchise history.
Attles never compared all the great performances he cherished getting to see up close. Different basketball times, different challenges. So many special milestones to celebrate and appreciate, he insisted.
In the months leading up to his Hall of Fame enshrinement as part of the Class of 2019, Attles remained his usual modest self. He always preferred to give out the compliments,
Born on Nov. 7, 1936, in Newark, New Jersey, Attles was a co-recipient of the 2017 National Basketball Coaches Association’s Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award and he also joined the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.
4o
