Al Attles, a Hall of Famer who coached the 1975 NBA champion Golden State Warriors dies at 87. Attes spent over six decades with the franchise as a player, general manager, and team ambassador.
The Warriors announced last Wednesday that Attles passed away in his East Bay home on Tuesday surrounded by family.
Nicknamed “The Destroyer’’for his style of play, he loved the Warriors and stayed only with the team after they selected him in the fifth round of the 1960 draft. Attles’ time at the team is the longest a player has spent in a single franchise in NBA history.
Attles, who was one of the first Black head coaches in the league, oversaw some of the greatest matches spanning different eras. He played in Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game for the Philadelphia Warriors in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on March 2, 1962. Attles also made all eight of his field-goal tries for 17 points.
He coached Hall of Famer Rick Barry the day Barry scored 64 against Portland on March 26. 1974. Attles watched Klay Thompson drop 60 points over three quarters in December 2016 too.
“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.”
This is another devastating loss for the Bay Area sports community after Giants baseball Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda recently died.
Attles coached Golden State to their first championship since moving West in 1975, then the Warriors won again 40 years later in 2015. His 557 coaching victories are most in franchise history.
He never compared all the great performances he cherished seeing up close. Different basketball times, different challenges. Attles said there were many special milestones to celebrate and appreciate.
“I’ve seen a 100-point game,” Attles said from his seat during a late timeout on Thompson’s big night. “Rick was such a great player and he cared about winning. In order to score the number of points he scored you have to have help from your teammates. I try to look at them individually because once you start comparing, someone is always going to be No. 2. Let’s give him his credit.”
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Jane Njoku
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