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Al Attles

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Al Attles
Attles at the Golden State Warriors Victory Parade on June 19, 2015
Personal information
Born(1936-11-07)November 7, 1936(age 87)
Newark, New Jersey,U.S.
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High schoolWeequahic(Newark, New Jersey)
CollegeNorth Carolina A&T(1956–1960)
NBA draft1960:5th round, 39th overall pick
Selected by thePhiladelphia Warriors
Playing career1960–1971
PositionPoint guard
Number16
Coaching career1968–1983, 1994–1995
Career history
As player:
1960–1971Philadelphia / San Francisco Warriors
As coach:
1968–1970San Francisco Warriors (assistant)
1970–1983San Francisco / Golden State Warriors
1994–1995Golden State Warriors (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As coach:

Career playing statistics
Points6,328 (8.9 ppg)
Rebounds2,463 (3.5 rpg)
Assists2,483 (3.5 apg)
StatsEdit this at Wikidataat NBA.com
StatsEdit this at Wikidataat Basketball-Reference.com
Career coaching record
NBA557–518 (.518)
Basketball Hall of Fame

Alvin Austin Attles Jr.(born November 7, 1936) is an American former professionalbasketballplayer and coach best known for his longtime association with theGolden State Warriors.Nicknamed the "Destroyer",[1][2]he played the point guard position and spent his entire 11 seasons (1960–1971) in theNational Basketball Association(NBA) with the team, joining it when it was still based inPhiladelphiaand following it to the Bay Area in 1962. He took over asplayer-coachfor the last season of his career, and remained as head coach until 1983 (save for 21 games in 1980).

Early life

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He is a graduate ofWeequahic High SchoolinNewark, New JerseyandNorth Carolina A&T State University.[3]He has a bachelor's degree in Physical Education and History along with a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction.[4]He intended to return to Newark and coach at his local junior high school when he was drafted by the Warriors. He initially declined before accepting and going to training camp.[5]

Playing career

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Attles with the San Francisco Warriors in 1970

Attles joined the then-Philadelphia Warriors in 1960. On March 2, 1962, he was the team's second-leading scorer with 17 points onthe night Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points.There is a probably apocryphal story to the effect that one of the sportswriters covering the game began his filing with thelede"HERSHEY, Pa. – Wilt Chamberlain and Al Attles combined for 117 points last night as the Philadelphia Warriors defeated theNew York Knicks169–147. "Attles moved with the team to the Bay Area at the end of the 1962 season, playing until 1971. Attles was known as" The Destroyer "due to his defensive specialities along with once punching a player in the jaw.[6]He was a role player on the 1964 Warriors team (withWilt ChamberlainandGuy Rodgers) that made theNBA Finalsand eventually lost the championship series to theBoston Celtics,four games to one. Attles also played on the Warriors' 1967 team that lost to Chamberlain's 68–13Philadelphia 76ersin an evenly matched, six-game championship series.

Coaching career

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Attles became an assistant coach in 1968, while still a player. He was named player-coach of the Warriors midway through the1969–70 season,succeedingGeorge Lee.He was one of the first African-American head coaches in the NBA. He retired as a player after the 1970–71 season, and stayed on as head coach, guiding theRick Barry-led Warriors to the 1975 NBA championship over the heavily favoredWashington Bullets,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 Sunsin theConference finalsin seven games. The team would make the playoffs only once more for the remainder of his tenure as coach. Attles was replaced byJohnny Bachfor the last 21 games of the1979–80 NBA season(a season in which the Warriors finished tied for last place), though he returned for the next season (Bach would become Attles's permanent successor after 1983). Attles coached the Warriors until 1983, compiling a 557–518 regular-season record (588–548 including playoffs) with six playoff appearances in 14 seasons. During the1983–84 NBA season,Attles worked as the Warriors' general manager. He is the longest-serving coach in Warriors history, and also has the most wins in franchise history.

Honors

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Attles' no. 16 banner hanging amongst others inOakland Arena

In 2014, Attles was the recipient of the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award—an annual basketball award given by theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fameto an individual who has contributed significantly to the sport of basketball, the award is the highest and the most prestigious honor presented by the Basketball Hall of Fame other than enshrinement.

Attles's number 16 is retired by the Warriors and he attends every Warriors home game. He also serves as a team ambassador.[7]On February 7, 2015, Attles's number 22 was retired by North Carolina A&T, the first ever retired by the team.[8]He was inducted into theBay Area Sports Hall of Famein 1993.

Attles has been on the Warriors' payroll in one capacity or another for 62 years, the longest uninterrupted streak of any person for one team. He is one of the last living members of the franchise who dates to their time in Philadelphia.

In 2017, Attles was named a recipient of theChuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award.[9]

On April 6, 2019, Attles was chosen as a member of theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[10]

Personal life

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Attles isCatholic.[11]

Career statistics

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Legend
GP Games played GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
FG% Field goalpercentage 3P% 3-point field goalpercentage FT% Free throwpercentage
RPG Reboundsper game APG Assistsper game SPG Stealsper game
BPG Blocksper game PPG Points per game Bold Career high
† Won anNBA championship * Led the league

Playing

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NBA

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Source[12]

Regular season
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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
Playoffs
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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

Head coaching record

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Legend
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

References

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  1. ^"Al Attles".Basketball-Reference.com.Archived fromthe originalon May 6, 2011.RetrievedMay 30,2020.
  2. ^Barry McDermott (April 21, 1975)."Attles Battles No Longer".Sports Illustrated.RetrievedMay 30,2020.
  3. ^Johnson, Roy S."ATTLES COACHES IN A PERSONAL WAY",The New York Times,January 28, 1982. Retrieved November 22, 2007.
  4. ^"Alvin Attles".NBA.com.
  5. ^Ostler, Scott (January 11, 2010)."50 years on, reluctant Warrior al Attles is the team's mainstay".Sfgate.
  6. ^Rhoden, William C. (May 27, 2015)."Al Attles, a Warrior for Life, is a Bridge to a Lone Bay Area Title".The New York Times.
  7. ^"Warriors staff directory".NBA.com.Archived fromthe originalon November 13, 2012.RetrievedDecember 18,2022.
  8. ^"North Carolina A&T to Retire Alvin Attles' Number".January 28, 2015.
  9. ^"Al Attles, Hubie Brown recipients of 2017 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award".nba.com.RetrievedMay 25,2021.
  10. ^Attles III, Alvin (September 6, 2019)."On the occasion of his father's induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, a son pays tribute".Bay Area News Group.
  11. ^"Smallwood Praises Al Attles".The A&T Register.September 19, 1975.RetrievedJune 23,2021.
  12. ^"Al Attles NBA playing stats".Basketball Reference.Sports Reference LLC.RetrievedMay 5,2023.
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