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.”

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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.”