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"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 began his NBA career as a fifth-round pick of the
then-Philadelphia Warriors in 1960. On March 2, 1962, in
Hershey, Pa., he had 17 points against the New York Knicks on a
night where teammate Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points.
He moved with the franchise to San Francisco later in 1962 and
remained a player through the 1970-71 season, finishing with
career averages of 8.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in
711 games.
Attles served as the Warriors' player-coach during his final
season and remained the head coach through 1983, leading them to
the NBA championship in 1974-75. They swept the then-Washington
Bullets in the NBA Finals, making Attles the second Black coach
to win a title after Bill Russell.
Attles compiled a 557-518 record as the Warriors' head coach. He
later served as the team's general manager for three seasons,
returned as an assistant coach in 1994-95 and also worked in the
front office as a vice president and consultant, ultimately
spending more than six decades with the organization.
"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," former Warriors star
Chris Mullin said. "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.
Attles was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall
of Fame in 2019. His jersey No. 16 was retired by the Warriors.
--Field Level Media [© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
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