Warriors icon, Hall of Famer Alvin Attles dies after more than 60 years with the franchise

Alvin Attles remains the Warriors’ all-time winningest head coach and led them to the NBA championship in 1975. (Janet Fries/Getty Images)

Golden State Warriors Hall of Famer Alvin Attles died on Tuesday at 87 years old.

The Warriors announced his death on Wednesday. A cause of death was not provided.

Attles joined the then-Philadelphia Warriors as a player in 1960. He spent the next 60-plus years of his life serving the franchise in multiple capacities, including head coach and general manager. His stint with the Warriors was the longest with any single franchise by one person in NBA history.

Nicknamed “The Destroyer” as a player, Attles served as an enforcer in 11 seasons with the Warriors from 1960-71. He spent five of those seasons playing alongside Wilt Chamberlain and was the team’s second-leading scorer with 17 points in Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962. He earned his reputation as an enforcer and disrupter despite his stature as a 6-foot, 175-pound guard.

“Alvin Attles did not just epitomize what it meant to be a Warrior — he was Mr. Warrior,” a team statement reads. “His tenacious playing style earned him the affectionate nickname of ‘The Destroyer’ on the court, but it was his gentle soul, grace and humility off the court that served as a guiding light for the organization for more than six decades.”

Attles remained with the Warriors when they moved to the Bay Area in 1962 and through his retirement as a player in 1971. He averaged 8.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists for his career.

Attles spent his last four seasons on the roster as a player-coach — two as an assistant then two as head coach starting in 1969. He remained on the sideline as head coach through the 1982-83 season, a span that entailed 14 seasons in the role.

Attles coached the 1974-75 Warriors to the NBA championship. A team that featured Hall of Famers Rick Barry and Jamaal Wilkes swept Elvin Hayes’ and Wes Unseld’s Washington Bullets in the 1975 NBA Finals.

“My heart is heavy today with the loss of my mentor and friend,” Barry said Wednesday, via a team statement. … “We shared so many wonderful and memorable moments together….

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-08-21 18:13:42

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