Warriors Hall of Famer Alvin Attles Passes Away at 87

Warriors Hall of Famer Alvin Attles passed away on Tuesday at the age of 87 at his Easy Bay home, the team announced on Wednesday.

Attles spent 11 seasons as a player with the Philadelphia Warriors and San Francisco Warriors from 1960-71, averaging 8.9 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game. He spent the final two years as a player/coach and wound up coaching the Warriors for more than 13 seasons.

Attles finished his coaching career with 557 wins, the most in franchise history. He also led the Warriors to their first championship in the West Coast era, sweeping the Washington Bullets in the 1975 NBA Finals. Following his coaching career, Attles spent three seasons as the team’s general manager. He remained with the organization for more than 60 years.

“Alvin Attles did not just epitomize what it meant to be a Warrior — he was Mr. Warrior,” the organization said in a statement. “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. As a player, coach, general manager, ambassador, and most of all, as a person, Alvin set the standards of professionalism and class by which we all strive to achieve. He leaves behind a profound legacy within the game of basketball and the Bay Area community, but especially as a family man and humanitarian. We mourn his loss alongside his wife, Wilhelmina, son Alvin and all who knew and loved him.”

Attles was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2019. In Aug. 2014, he was honored by the Hall of Fame with the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award, a prestigious award that honors someone whose accomplishments have impacted the game of basketball.

Attles was a co-recipient of the 2017 National Basketball Coaches Association’s Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors coaches whose bodies of work have had a great impact on the NBA coaching profession. Attles was also inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.

“My heart is heavy today with the loss of my mentor and friend,” Warriors legend Rick Barry said in a statement provided by the organization. “Al was my roommate
during my rookie season in the league. He taught me valuable lessons on being a professional that couldn’t be learned on the court. Later, as our coach during the 1975 championship season, he exemplified leadership, togetherness and a keen strategic ability that enabled us to succeed at the highest level. We shared so many wonderful and memorable moments together. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Wilhelmina, and his entire family. He will be dearly missed.”

Warriors legend Chris Mullin also released a statement via the team.

“This is a difficult day for me,” Mullins’ statement began. “Alvin Attles had a huge, positive influence on me and my career, not just drafting me in 1985 and bringing me to the Bay Area but guiding me through my journey as a player and a young man, both in good and difficult times. He was a dear friend, mentor and role model and someone I admired tremendously and tried to emulate. He set the standard for all of us when it comes to integrity and humility and was truly a champion both on and off the court. There will never be another Alvin Attles.”