Sports
Al Attles, one of the first black NBA coaches who led the Warriors to a title in 1975, dies at age 87
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Al Attles, the Hall of Fame inductee who coached the 1975 NBA champion Warriors and spent greater than six a long time with the organization as a player, general manager and, most recently, an envoy for the team, has died. He was 87.
The Warriors announced Wednesday that Attles died at his East Bay home the day before, surrounded by family. The team didn’t disclose the cause of death.
Nicknamed “The Destroyer” for his physical style of play, the Warriors were his love and only team after they chose him in the fifth round of the 1960 draft. He remained employed by Golden State until his death, and his 64-year tenure was the longest in league history with one franchise for one person.
One of the first black coaches in the NBA, Attles has witnessed some of the biggest games of all time, including Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game for the Philadelphia Warriors in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on March 2, 1962. Attles converted all eight of his field goal attempts, scoring 17 points.
He also coached American Football Hall of Fame inductee Rick Barry when he scored 64 points against Portland on March 26, 1974, after which watched Klay Thompson rating 60 points in three quarters in December 2016.
“My heart is heavy today for the loss of my mentor and friend. Al was my roommate during my rookie season in the league. He taught me valuable lessons about being a professional that could not be learned on the court,” Barry said in a statement released by the Warriors. “Later, as our coach during our 1975 championship season, he exemplified the leadership, unity and strategic acumen that allowed us to succeed at the highest level.”
His loss is one other blow to the Bay Area sports community following the recent deaths of Giants Baseball Hall of Fame inductees 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 wins as a coach are the most in franchise history.
Attles never compared all the great performances he loved watching up close. Different eras of basketball, different challenges. So many special milestones to rejoice and appreciate, he insisted.
“I saw a 100-point game,” Attles said from his seat during Thompson’s late timeout. “Rick was a great player and he wanted to win. To score as many points as he did, you have to have your teammates help you. I try to look at them individually because when you start comparing, someone’s going to be No. 2. Let’s give him credit.”
Attles joked that he passed to Chamberlain to rating all those points. In fact, he had six assists, while Guy Rodgers had 20 of the team’s 39 assists in a 169-147 win over the Knicks.
“I think 50,” Attles said, chuckling about his assist total in that record-breaking game. “I don’t know. Guess what? We won the game. That’s all that matters.”
“Because I played with Wilt, people always ask, ‘What did you think about Wilt scoring 100 points?’ I say, ‘Give him credit for what he did that night.’ It’s like comparing apples and oranges. They’re both good fruits. It’s about what you like. I was very close to Wilt, but you have to enjoy what they did that night. I’m happy with any great performance.”
As a player, Attles averaged 8.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and three.5 assists in 11 seasons with the Warriors.
In 2014, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame honored him with the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award.
In the months leading up to his induction into the Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2019, Attles remained his usual humble self, at all times preferring to hand out compliments slightly than take credit for his own accomplishments.
“They made a mistake,” Attles joked with a broad smile, still showing his quick wit. “They haven’t caught up with me yet.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr, long known for the fashionable suits he wore on the sideline and later in the stands, once paid tribute to Attles by wearing one.
“He’s the face of the franchise,” Kerr said. “He’s been the face of the franchise for 60 years, so he’s an incredible figure.”
Featured Stories
After missing most of the 2018-19 season (his smiling face was a everlasting fixture at the team’s former Oracle Arena), Attles returned for Game 4 of the 2019 NBA Finals against Toronto to cheers and fanfare.
Things weren’t the same without Attles.
Former center Clifford Ray considered Attles “a father figure to all of us” and noted that black NBA players often felt more comfortable learning from the coach due to their similar cultural backgrounds.
“He made things easy and simple,” Ray said. “He didn’t overwhelm us with a lot of technical stuff and paperwork. It was all very structured. We knew what we were doing.”
Attles was born on November 7, 1936, in Newark, New Jersey. He was a co-recipient of the National Basketball Coaches Association Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. He was also inducted into the Bay Area (*87*) Hall of Fame in 1993.
“Alvin’s name has become synonymous with the Warriors franchise after dedicating his entire adult life to our organization, beginning with our final seasons in Philadelphia,” Warriors owner Joe Lacob said after Attles’ Hall of Fame induction. “He has thrived in every role and responsibility over the past 60 years, from player to coach to general manager and most recently as an ambassador. And he has done it with incredible class and humility.”
NFL Hall of Fame receiver and podcast host Terrell Owens has signed with a talent agency to further strengthen his claims within the entertainment game.
According to , Owens was signed by SMAC Entertainment, headed by host and NFL Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and his business partner Constance Schwartz-Morini.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz has also joined SMAC Entertainment.
“We are excited to add TO and Jordan to the SMAC family. They are both at the top of their game and set the standard in their industry,” Schwartz-Morini said in a written statement. “TO and Jordan have already brought an infectious energy to our team, and we are excited to help them realize their vision for careers in media, business and branding.”
A five-time first-team All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler, Owens played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. In 2018, he was finally inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
A member of the 2000 NFL All-Decade Team, Owens finished his profession with 1,078 catches for 15,934 yards, 14.8 yards per catch and 153 touchdowns, rating third all-time in receiving yards and touchdowns.
Since retiring from skilled soccer in 2012, Owens has already made several moves. He has appeared in several movies and tv shows, including “,” and in addition had his own reality show, “, on VH1.
He currently co-hosts the podcast with former NFL player and sports analyst Shannon Sharpe.
SMAC Entertainment is home to stars similar to rapper and actor Common, Wiz Khalifa, Strahan, Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and current NFL players similar to Stefon Diggs and DK Metcalf.
Sports
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker brings an NBA championship desire with his Olympic experience
The gold medal went to the USA Basketball team. Mission completed on the 2024 Paris Games. U.S. men’s basketball coach Steve Kerr just answered his final query during his final news conference on Aug. 10 after his team defeated France within the gold medal game.
However, before leaving the stage of the press conference in Paris, Kerr stopped to deliver an unsolicited message to media around the globe.
“Devin Booker is an amazing basketball player. Nobody asked about him. He was our unsung MVP. I just desired to say that,” Kerr said.
The “underrated MVP” compliment meant so much to the Phoenix Suns guard.
“It meant everything. No one really asked him,” Booker recently told Andscape. “That was probably something that was weighing on his mind throughout the entire process. A 12 months ago I said what I desired to do for this team and what we desired to do for the country.
“It was a lot larger than all of us. Survival was something we’d discuss for the remainder of our lives.
The USA Basketball team was centered around NBA star icons LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. There has also been some discussion amongst media and fans in regards to the lack of playing time for Jayson Tatum and, to a lesser extent, Tyrese Haliburton. Lost within the shuffle was the all-around, unselfish play of sharpshooter Booker wearing the armband.
Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images
Booker was fourth in scoring for the U.S., averaging 11.7 points, 3.3 assists and a couple of.2 three-pointers made early in all six Olympics, and likewise had the perfect plus/minus (plus-130) for an American. Kerr was impressed with Booker’s deal with a difficult defense, regardless that he is thought for his offense, ball movement and the way he has adjusted to not being one in every of the highest options on offense.
“I just understood what was at stake,” Booker said. “I’m proud to be from this country. I’m happy with playing basketball. Even though it wasn’t invented in America, we dominated for a very long time. Obviously the world is incredibly talented and the sport is growing, however it was just one other message to allow them to know who we’re.
Booker said he also learned in regards to the preparations from his all-star team, watching the preparations on and off the court. The 28-year-old added that he gained lifelong friendships.
“It’s cool to see that everyone has their own issues,” Booker said. “In my 10 years in the NBA, I’ve learned that you have to choose what you can use for yourself. But the level of detail, the attention to detail, the intensity – it’s all consistent across the board.”
As for Durant, Booker said the bond between the 2 Sun stars “is close and grows stronger every day.” They live about five minutes from one another within the Phoenix area and commonly spend time at home and on the road. Most recently, Booker had to steer the Suns without Durant, who was sidelined with an injury.
The amazing Durant averaged 27.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and three.4 assists, which were tops for the Suns. However, the 14-time NBA All-Star has been sidelined since November 8 with a left calf strain. Suns players Bradley Beal (calf) and Jusuf Nurkic (ankle) were also sidelined. The Suns are 1-5 without Durant, which incorporates 4 straight losses.
Booker and Suns sans Durant’s next rivals shall be the New York Knicks on Wednesday evening (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET). Over the last six games, Booker is averaging 24.1 points, shooting 43.2% from the sphere and making 16 of 43 three-pointers. Suns guard Tyus Jones said there was numerous pressure on Booker offensively due to the injury.
“We’re asking a lot of Book,” Jones said after Monday’s 109-99 loss to the visiting Orlando Magic. “It’s numerous pressure for him. We are very focused on it. They are physical with him, holding him and grabbing him, throwing two or three bodies at him all night long. So he’s got so much on his plate and we just need to proceed to seek out ways to get him open within the moments we will and proceed to assist him when other players are taking shots and making plays.
Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
Booker currently has two Olympic gold medals, 4 NBA All-Star appearances and one NBA Finals appearance. The only thing missing from the Suns’ second-leading all-time scorer is an NBA championship. Since the Suns joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1968, they’ve yet to win a title.
After experiencing the joys of winning a gold medal, Booker as an NBA champion wants the gold Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy much more.
“Most of the guys that were there did it,” Booker said of his Olympic teammates who were NBA champions. “They were champions. This is standard for them. Anything lower than that, they need nothing to do with it. It’s contagious…
“That’s all I want. That’s all I want.”
After months of introducing the players and coaches who will participate in its inaugural season, the brand new Unrivaled 3-on-3 women’s basketball league announced its team rosters and coaching assignments on Wednesday.
Founded by WNBA players Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, Unrivaled consists of six teams of six players each. The league was created to offer WNBA players with a substitute for playing overseas in the course of the offseason.
Although initially announced as having 30 players, the league has since expanded to 36, which Collier attributed “above financial forecasts”. The league has announced 34 players publicly up to now.
The inaugural season of Unrivaled will begin on January 17, 2025, with all games going down in Miami. Here are the official teams for the inaugural season, as well season schedule.
Vinyl Basketball Club:
– Coach: Teresa Weatherspoon
Rose Basketball Club:
– Coach: Nola Henry
Mgła basketball club:
– Coach: Phil Handy
Lunar Owls Basketball Club:
– TBD: wild card
– Coach: DJ Sackmann
Phantom Basketball Club:
– TBD: wild card
– Coach: Adam Harrington
Laces Basketball Club:
– Coach: Andrew Wade
Simone Biles torn apart after giving George Strait’s wife a ‘vulgar look’ while fans came to her defense
Percival Everett wins the National Book Award for his Huckleberry Finn-inspired epic “James.”
Ant stings can be painful. Here’s how to avoid getting stung this summer (and what to do if it happens)
What do you know about Cynthia Erivo?
Snoop Dogg Takes Over ‘Amazon Music Live’ in Season 3 Finale – Essence
CEO of 360WiSE Launches Mentorship Program in Overtown Miami FL
The Importance of Owning Your Distribution Media Platform
U.S.-Africa Chamber of Commerce Appoints Robert Alexander of 360WiseMedia as Board Director
360Wise Media and McDonald’s NY Tri-State Owner Operators Celebrate Success of “Faces of Black History” Campaign with Over 2 Million Event Visits
Another lawsuit accuses Google of bias against Black minority employees
Cyntoia Brown is released from prison
Diversifying Your Revenue Streams
Man removed from Airbnb for racist, hate-filled messages to black client
Charmaine Bey Shares Inspiration Behind Children’s Book on Colorism
Will Poulter got emotional during the filming of ‘Detroit’
-
Press Release8 months agoCEO of 360WiSE Launches Mentorship Program in Overtown Miami FL
-
Business and Finance6 months agoThe Importance of Owning Your Distribution Media Platform
-
Press Release7 months agoU.S.-Africa Chamber of Commerce Appoints Robert Alexander of 360WiseMedia as Board Director
-
Business and Finance8 months ago360Wise Media and McDonald’s NY Tri-State Owner Operators Celebrate Success of “Faces of Black History” Campaign with Over 2 Million Event Visits
-
Ben Crump7 months agoAnother lawsuit accuses Google of bias against Black minority employees
-
Fitness7 months agoBlack sportswear brands for your 2024 fitness journey
-
Theater8 months agoApplications open for the 2020-2021 Soul Producing National Black Theater residency – Black Theater Matters
-
Ben Crump8 months agoHenrietta Lacks’ family members reach an agreement after her cells undergo advanced medical tests