Al Attles, an NBA Hall of Famer, was the league’s longest-tenured employee, spending nearly six decades with the Warriors as a player, coach, general manager, vice president, and consultant. The Philadelphia Warriors selected Attles in the fifth round of the 1960 NBA Draft. The point guard would spend 11 seasons with the organisation, nine of them in the Bay Area following the team’s relocation to San Francisco. Attles is eighth in franchise history with 711 games played, averaging 8.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. In his final two seasons as a player, he also worked as a coach. Attles took over as the team’s Head Coach in 1970, and in his 13 years there,
He became the franchise’s all-time winningest coach, with 557 wins. Nobody has coached more Warriors games than Attles (1,075 games), who was just joined by current Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr as the only coaches in the organisation to reach 500 career wins. “Most of the great organisations with a lot of history have one player who everybody associates with that franchise,” Mr. Kerr remarked. “Al Attles is the guy for us. He represents our franchise to several generations of Warriors fans. “We’re lucky to have him.”
His most notable success as a coach was leading the Warriors to the 1975 NBA championship with a 4-0 sweep of the Washington Bullets, making him the league’s second African American Head Coach to win a title. In 1975-76, he went on to win 59 games, a career high.
“This is an incredibly humble man who has never sought any attention for anything he has done,” said Jim Barnett, a former Warriors player and long-time commentator. “When they won it all in 1975, he avoided the accolades. Al evokes images of class and grace in my mind. “I think of a gentleman.”
During his three years as General Manager, Attles was in charge of draughting future Hall of Famers Chris Mullin and Robert
Parrish. In 2019, he joined them in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “He [Attles] played many different roles in the Warriors organisation and was always very aware of the job he held and the jobs around him,” Mullin told me. “He always realised it was a major responsibility and avoided criticising what others were doing. He was constantly there to help and improve the place.
Among the many hats Attles wore at the organisation, his impact on others was the most noticeable to his peers and coworkers.
“There was something authentic and genuine about him as a person—he was the light and lamp of the team,” Hall of Famer Jamaal Wilkes remarked about his Head Coach after winning Rookie of the Year.
He won the championship in his first season under Attles’ leadership. “Alvin’s name has become synonymous with the Warriors franchise after dedicating his entire adult life to our organisation, dating back to our final seasons in Philadelphia,” Warriors Co-Executive Chairman Joe Lacob stated. “He has thrived in every role and duty over the last 60 years, from player to coach to general manager, and most recently as an ambassador. And he’s done it with tremendous class and humility.
Attles’ legacy will live on forever, as his No. 16 jersey hangs in the Chase Centre rafters.
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