Al Attles
The Destroyer: A Warrior for life.
Alvin Austin Attles Jr. (November 7, 1936 – August 20, 2024) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and executive who spent his entire career with the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed the "Destroyer", he played the point guard position.
- Role
- Guard / Head Coach
- Franchise Tenure
- 1960–1983 (as player and head coach)
- Jersey Status
- Retired (#16)
- Coaching Record
- 557 Wins, 518 Losses (Regular Season)
- Key Achievement
- Led Warriors to 1975 NBA Championship
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Attles was selected by the Warriors in the 1960 NBA draft and played 11 seasons with the team, including moving with the team from Philadelphia to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1962. He took over as player-coach during the 1970–71 season, his last as a player. He remained the team's head coach after his playing retirement and led the Warriors to an NBA championship in 1975. He stepped down as head coach in 1983 and then served as general 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.
In Their Own Story
Midway through the 1969–70 season, Attles succeeded George Lee as player-coach, becoming one of the first African-American head coaches in the NBA. After retiring from playing following the 1970–71 season, he stayed on as full-time head coach. The following season, his team fought hard but fell to the Phoenix Suns in a seven-game conference final series. Attles' tenure faced physical challenges when he tore his Achilles tendon during the 1979–80 season, missing 21 games covered by assistant Johnny Bach. He coached until 1983, compiling a regular-season record of 557–518 and leading the team to six playoff appearances in 14 seasons.
Reader's Guide
Attles's number 16 was retired by the Warriors in 1977. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019. He also received the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 and the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. His number 22 was retired by North Carolina A&T in 2015.
Did You Know?
- Attles became player-coach midway through the 1969–70 season, succeeding George Lee.
- Attles received a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of San Francisco in 1983, 12 years after his playing career ended in 1971.
- Attles was on the Warriors' payroll in one capacity or another for over 60 years, the longest stint of any person for one team.
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