Al Attles, the longest-serving coach in Golden State Warriors history and a key figure in the team's 1975 championship, passed away on Tuesday. He was 80 years old and surrounded by family at his home.
Al Attles, the legendary Golden State Warriors coach and Hall of Famer, has passed away at the age of 80.
Attles died on Tuesday in his East Bay home, surrounded by family, the Warriors announced. He was the longest-serving coach in Warriors history, leading the team from 1970 to 1983, and also has the most wins in franchise history.
Al Attles, Legendary Warriors Coach and Hall of Famer, Passes Away at 80
Attles holds the record for the longest stint with a single franchise for one person in NBA history. It's a record he built across six decades as a player, coach, executive, and most recently, a team ambassador with the Warriors.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, Attles began his NBA playing career with the Warriors when they were based in Philadelphia in 1960. He was drafted 39th overall, a pick that came in the fifth that year out of North Carolina A&T.
Al Attles, Legendary Warriors Coach and Hall of Famer, Passes Away at 80
He played until 1971 and was part of the team's relocation to California in 1962. The last three years of his playing career, he also served as an assistant coach.
Attles took over as the team's head coach in 1970 and led the team to its third championship, breaking the team's decades-long title drought that began after 1956.
Attles was then the first head coach after the team rebranded as the Golden State Warriors in 1971.
He led the team as head coach for 14 years, aside from being replaced for the last 21 games of the 1979-80 season and then returning the following year.
In 1983, the man who replaced him in that stretch, Johnny Bach, became his permanent replacement, and Attles took on the role of general manager.
Attles compiled a 557–518 regular-season record (588–548 including playoffs) with six playoff appearances in 14 seasons as head coach of the Warriors.
As a player, he was nicknamed "The Destroyer" for his physical style of play. The Warriors were his love and his only team. It marks the longest stint with a single franchise for one person in league history.
"Alvin leaves behind a profound legacy within the game of basketball and the Bay Area community, but especially as a family man and humanitarian," the Warriors said in a statement. "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 in 2019. He was also a member of the Warriors' 25th, 50th, and 75th Anniversary Teams.
He will be remembered as one of the greatest Warriors of all time and a true pioneer in the game of basketball.
