Al Attles

Al Attles

Attles at the Golden State Warriors Victory Parade on 19 June 2015
Personal information
Born (1936-11-07) November 7, 1936
Newark, New Jersey
Nationality American
Listed height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight 175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High school Weequahic
(Newark, New Jersey)
College North Carolina A&T (1956–1960)
NBA draft 1960 / Round: 5 / Pick: 39th overall
Selected by the Philadelphia Warriors
Playing career 1960–1971
Position Point guard
Number 16
Career history
As player:
1960–1971 Philadelphia / San Francisco Warriors
As coach:
1970–1983 San Francisco / Golden State Warriors
Career highlights and awards

As player:

As coach:

Career statistics
Points 6,328 (8.9 ppg)
Rebounds 2,463 (3.5 rpg)
Assists 2,483 (3.5 apg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Alvin Austin Attles Jr. (born November 7, 1936) is an American retired professional basketball player and coach best known for his longtime association with the Golden State Warriors.

Before the NBA

He is a graduate of Weequahic High School in Newark and North Carolina A&T State University.[1] He has a bachelor's degree in Physical Education and History along with a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction.[2] He intended to just be a coach at his local junior high school when he was drafted by the Warriors. He initially declined before accepting and going to training camp.[3]

Playing career

Attles joined the then-Philadelphia Warriors in 1960. On March 2, 1962 he was the team's second-leading scorer with 17 points on the night Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points. There is a probably apocryphal story to the effect that one of the sportswriters covering the game began his filing with the lede "HERSHEY, Pa. -- Wilt Chamberlain and Al Attles combined for 117 points last night as the Philadelphia Warriors defeated the New York Knicks 169-147."[4] Attles moved with the team to the Bay Area at the end of the 1962 season, playing until 1971. Attles was known as "The Destroyer" due to his defensive specialities along with once punching a player in the jaw.[5] He was a role player on the 1964 Warriors team (with Wilt Chamberlain and Guy Rodgers) that made the NBA Finals and eventually lost the championship series to the Boston Celtics, four games to one. Attles also played on the Warriors' 1967 team that lost to Chamberlain's 68-13 Philadelphia 76ers in an evenly matched, six-game championship series.

Coaching career

Attles later became one of the first African-American coaches in the NBA when he was named player-coach of the Warriors midway through the 1969-70 season, succeeding George Lee. Attles guided the Rick Barry-led Warriors to the 1975 NBA championship over the heavily favored Washington Bullets, making him the second African American coach to win an NBA title (the first was Bill Russell). Attles' team tried to repeat the following season, but they lost to the Phoenix Suns in the Conference Finals in seven games. The team would make the playoffs only once more for the remainder of his tenure as coach. Attles was replaced by Johnny Bach for the last 21 games of the 1979–80 NBA season (a season in which the Warriors finished tied for dead last), though he returned for the next season (Bach would become Attles' permanent successor after 1983). Attles coached the Warriors until 1983, compiling a 557-518 regular season record (588-548 overall including playoff games) with 6 playoff appearances in 14 seasons. During the 1983–84 season, Attles worked as the Warriors' general manager. He is the longest-serving coach in Warriors history.

Honors

Attles's number 16 is retired by the Warriors and he attends every Warriors home game. He also serves as a team ambassador.[6] On February 7, 2015, Attles' #22 was retired by North Carolina A&T, the first ever retired by the team.[7] He was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. Attles has worked in the Warriors organization for over 50 years, the longest uninterrupted streak of any person for one team. Attles and his wife Wilhelmina reside in Oakland and have two adult children.

Head coaching record

Legend
Regular season G Games coached W Games won L Games lost W–L % Win-loss %
Post season PG Playoff games PW Playoff wins PL Playoff losses PW–L % Playoff win-loss %
Team Year G W L W–L% Finish PG PW PL PW–L% Result
San Francisco 1969–70 30822.2676th in Western ———— —
San Francisco 1970–71 824141.5002nd in Pacific514.200 Lost in Conf. Semifinals
Golden State 1971–72 825131.622 2nd in Pacific514.200 Lost in Conf. Semifinals
Golden State 1972–73 824735.573 2nd in Pacific1156.200 Lost in Conf. Finals
Golden State 1973–74 824438.5372nd in Pacific———— —
Golden State 1974–75 824834.5851st in Pacific17125.706 Won NBA Championship
Golden State 1975–76 825923.7201st in Pacific1376.538 Lost in Conf. Finals
Golden State 1976–77 824636.5613rd in Pacific1055.500 Lost in Conf. Semifinals
Golden State 1977–78 824339.5245th in Pacific———— —
Golden State 1978–79 823844.4636th in Pacific———— —
Golden State 1979–80 611843.2956th in Pacific———— —
Golden State 1980–81 823943.4764th in Pacific———— —
Golden State 1981–82 824537.5494th in Pacific———— —
Golden State 1982–83 823052.3665th in Pacific———— —
Career 1,075557518.518 613130.508

References

  1. ↑ Johnson, Roy S. "ATTLES COACHES IN A PERSONAL WAY", The New York Times, January 28, 1982. Accessed November 22, 2007.
  2. ↑ http://www.nba.com/warriors/alvin_attles.html
  3. ↑ http://www.sfgate.com/sports/ostler/article/50-years-on-reluctant-Warrior-Al-Attles-is-the-3203061.php
  4. ↑ <http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120302&content_id=26952736&c_id=mlb>
  5. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/27/sports/basketball/al-attles-part-of-warriors-past-is-still-a-presence.html?_r=0
  6. ↑ Warriors staff directory
  7. ↑ http://hbcusports.com/2015/01/28/north-carolina-at-to-retire-alvin-attles-number/

External links

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