.JPG) Attles with theSan Francisco Warriors in 1970 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1936-11-07)November 7, 1936 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | August 20, 2024(2024-08-20) (aged 87) Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 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 |
| Drafted by | Philadelphia Warriors |
| Playing career | 1960–1971 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 16 |
| Coaching career | 1968–1983, 1994–1995 |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1960–1971 | Philadelphia / San Francisco Warriors |
Coaching | |
| 1968–1970 | San Francisco Warriors (assistant) |
| 1970–1983 | San Francisco / Golden State Warriors |
| 1994–1995 | Golden State Warriors (assistant) |
| Career highlights | |
| 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  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
| Career coaching record | |
| NBA | 557–518 (.518) |
| Record atBasketball Reference | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
Alvin Austin Attles Jr. (November 7, 1936 – August 20, 2024) was an American professionalbasketball player, coach, and executive who spent his entire career with theGolden State Warriors of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed the "Destroyer", he played thepoint guard position.
Attles was selected by the Warriors in the1960 NBA draft and played 11 seasons with the team, including moving with the team fromPhiladelphia to theSan Francisco Bay Area in 1962. He took over asplayer-coach during the1970–71 season, his last as a player. He remained the team'shead coach after his playing retirement and led the Warriors to an NBA championship in1975. He stepped down as head coach in 1983 and then served asgeneral 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 wasretired by the Warriors in 1977. He was inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.
Attles was born inNewark, New Jersey, to Alvin Sr. and Geraldine Attles.[1] His father worked as arailway porter.[1] Attles was a graduate ofWeequahic High School in Newark.[2] He held a bachelor's degree in Physical Education and History fromNorth 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]
Attles was drafted by the then-Philadelphia Warriors in1960 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 onfield goals and 1-of-1 onfree throws, onthe night Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points.[5][6][7] Attles moved with the team to theBay Area at the end of the1962 season, playing until1971.[5] Attles was known as "the Destroyer" due to his defensive specialities along with once punching a player in the jaw.[8] He was areserve on the 1964 Warriors team (withWilt Chamberlain andGuy Rodgers) that reachedthe NBA Finals and lost to theBoston Celtics, four games to one.[9][10] Attles also played on the Warriors' 1967 team that lost to Chamberlain's 68–13Philadelphia 76ers in a six-game championship series.[10]
Attles was named player-coach of the Warriors midway through the1969–70 season,[11] succeedingGeorge Lee. He was one of the firstAfrican-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 theRick Barry-led Warriors to the1975 NBA championship over the heavily favoredWashington Bullets,[4] making him the second African-American coach to win an NBA title (the first wasBill Russell). Attles's team tried to repeat the following season, but they lost to thePhoenix Suns inthe 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 hisAchilles tendon during the1979–80 season and missed 21 games which were covered by his assistantJohnny 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 had the most wins in franchise history until being surpassed bySteve Kerr in March 2025.[5][14]
Attles returned as an assistant coach for the Warriors for the 1994–95 season.[15]
Attles died at hisEast Bay, California, home on August 20, 2024, at the age of 87.[1][16] He had spent weeks inhospice care.[17]
In 2014, Attles was the recipient of theJohn W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award, an annual basketball award given by theNaismith 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.[18] On February 7, 2015, Attles's number 22 was retired by North Carolina A&T, the first ever retired by the team.[19] He was inducted into theBay 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.[16] 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 theChuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award.[20]
On April 6, 2019, Attles was chosen as a member of theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[21]
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Attles married his wife, Wilhelmina Rice, in 1964; his Warriors teammate,Wilt Chamberlain, was hisbest man.[22] The couple have two children, Alvin III and Ericka.[22] He has four grandchildren and one great-grandson. One of his grandsons, Isaiah Attles, playedcollege basketball for theAlcorn State Braves.[23] Attles was friends withBill Cosby andLes McCann.[22] Attles wasCatholic.[24]
In 1983, Attles received a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from theUniversity of San Francisco.[25]
| GP | Games 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 anNBA championship | * | Led the league |
Source[26]
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960–61 | Philadelphia | 77 | 20.1 | .409 | .599 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 7.0 |
| 1961–62 | Philadelphia | 75 | 32.9 | .474 | .592 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 11.3 |
| 1962–63 | San Francisco | 71 | 26.4 | .478 | .646 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 10.4 |
| 1963–64 | San Francisco | 70 | 26.9 | .452 | .673 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 10.9 |
| 1964–65 | San Francisco | 73 | 23.7 | .384 | .624 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 9.4 |
| 1965–66 | San Francisco | 79 | 26.0 | .503 | .611 | 4.1 | 2.8 | 11.2 |
| 1966–67 | San Francisco | 69 | 25.6 | .454 | .583 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 7.4 |
| 1967–68 | San Francisco | 67 | 29.7 | .467 | .694 | 4.1 | 5.8 | 9.8 |
| 1968–69 | San Francisco | 51 | 29.7 | .451 | .638 | 3.5 | 6.0 | 8.2 |
| 1969–70 | San Francisco | 45 | 15.0 | .386 | .664 | 1.6 | 3.2 | 5.1 |
| 1970–71 | San Francisco | 34 | 9.4 | .407 | .585 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 2.0 |
| Career | 711 | 25.1 | .451 | .632 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 8.9 | |
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Philadelphia | 3 | 36.7 | .462 | .357 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 9.7 |
| 1962 | Philadelphia | 12 | 28.2 | .368 | .548 | 4.6 | 2.3 | 6.1 |
| 1964 | San Francisco | 12* | 32.2 | .403 | .536 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 12.2 |
| 1967 | San Francisco | 15* | 15.8 | .435 | .375 | 4.1 | 2.5 | 3.1 |
| 1968 | San Francisco | 10 | 27.7 | .403 | .767 | 5.3 | 7.0 | 7.3 |
| 1969 | San Francisco | 6 | 18.2 | .333 | .250 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 2.5 |
| 1971 | San Francisco | 4 | 11.8 | .571 | .571 | 2.0 | 2.8 | 3.0 |
| Career | 62 | 24.3 | .403 | .544 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 6.4 | |
Source[27]
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | 1969–70 | 30 | 8 | 22 | .267 | 6th in Western | — | — | — | — | — |
| San Francisco | 1970–71 | 82 | 41 | 41 | .500 | 2nd in Pacific | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 | Lost inConf. Semifinals |
| Golden State | 1971–72 | 82 | 51 | 31 | .622 | 2nd in Pacific | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 | Lost inConf. Semifinals |
| Golden State | 1972–73 | 82 | 47 | 35 | .573 | 2nd in Pacific | 11 | 5 | 6 | .455 | Lost inConf. Finals |
| Golden State | 1973–74 | 82 | 44 | 38 | .537 | 2nd in Pacific | — | — | — | — | — |
| Golden State | 1974–75 | 82 | 48 | 34 | .585 | 1st in Pacific | 17 | 12 | 5 | .706 | WonNBA Championship |
| Golden State | 1975–76 | 82 | 59 | 23 | .720 | 1st in Pacific | 13 | 7 | 6 | .538 | Lost inConf. Finals |
| Golden State | 1976–77 | 82 | 46 | 36 | .561 | 3rd in Pacific | 10 | 5 | 5 | .500 | Lost inConf. Semifinals |
| Golden State | 1977–78 | 82 | 43 | 39 | .524 | 5th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | — |
| Golden State | 1978–79 | 82 | 38 | 44 | .463 | 6th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | — |
| Golden State | 1979–80 | 61 | 18 | 43 | .295 | 6th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | — |
| Golden State | 1980–81 | 82 | 39 | 43 | .476 | 4th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | — |
| Golden State | 1981–82 | 82 | 45 | 37 | .549 | 4th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | — |
| Golden State | 1982–83 | 82 | 30 | 52 | .366 | 5th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | 1,075 | 557 | 518 | .518 | 61 | 31 | 30 | .508 |
