OAKLAND — Al Attles, who coached the Warriors to the greatest upset in NBA Finals history as part of more than six decades with the franchise, died on Tuesday at his East Bay home. He was 87.
“Alvin Attles did not just epitomize what it meant to be a Warrior – he was Mr. Warrior,” the team 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.”
Attles is best known for shocking the basketball world by guiding the plucky Warriors to the NBA title in 1975. With just one star, Rick Barry, the team finished with a 48-34 regular-season record. But the Warriors found their groove during the playoffs that culminated with a 4-0 sweep over the highly favored Washington Bullets.
SAN FRANCISCO – 1960’s: Al Attles #16 of the Golden State Warriors poses for a portrait circa 1960’s in San Francisco, California. Copyright 1960 NBAE (Photo by NBA Photos/NBAE via Getty Images) San Francisco, CA – Circa 1969 to 1971: Al Attles, #16, makes the jump during a San Francisco Warriors versus Los Angeles Lakers game. From left are Jeff Mullins, #23, and Happy Hairston, #52. (Oakland Tribune Photo) Joe Caldwell of the St. Louis Hawks sets his jaw and turns the corner toward the basket in first period National Basketball Association action in St. Louis, on Saturday, night, Dec. 16, 1968. His determination paid off in a basket as he slipped by Al Attles (16) of the San Francisco Warriors to score. Others are Jeff Mullins (23) of San Francisco and Len Wilkens (14) and Paul Silas (29), both of St. Louis. (AP Photo) St. Louis Hawks Cliff Hagan (16) makes a high flying pass to teammate Bob Pettit after taking a shot at the basket, Jan. 6, 1963, St. Louis, Mo. With Hagan in the air is San Francisco Warrior Al Attles (16) who moved in to defend the goal. Action came during the game at Kiel Auditorium. The Hawks defeated the San Francisco Warriors 114-103. (AP Photo/Fred Waters) Oakland, CA Circa 1970s – Golden State Warriors coach Al Attles on the sidelines. (Oakland Tribune Photos) Oakland, CA February 13, 1976 – Golden State Warriors basketball coach Al Attles at a press conference. (By Robert Stinnett / Oakland Tribune) FRONT ROW (left to right): Charles Johnson, Jeff Mullins, Assistant Coach Joe Roberts, Head Coach Al Attles, President Franklin Mieuli, Rick Barry, Butch Beard, Phil Smith, Trainer Dick D’Oliva. BACK ROW: Assistant General Manager Hal Childs, Charles Dudley, Bill Bridges, Clifford Ray, George Johnson, Derrek Dickey, Keith Wilkes, Steve Bracey, Director of Player Personnel Bob Feerick, General Manager Dick Vertlieb. (Golden State Warriors) Oakland, CA January 23, 1980 – Golden State Warriors basketball coach Al Attles rejoices. (By Howard Erker / Oakland Tribune) Warriors coach Al Attles Golden State Warriors basketball coach Al Attles in Oakland on Sunday, February 8, 1981. (By Ron Riesterer/ Bay Area News Group archive) Oakland, CA January 31, 1989 – Golden State Warriors manager Al Attles. (By Dino Vournas / Daily Review) Ray Chavez/staff 5/31/06 tribuneGolden State Warriors legend Al Attles, center, tosses the basket ball between Jenny Fang, left, and her cousin Ella Fang to start a game as part of the refurbished basketball court ceremony at Lincoln Square Park in Oakland Wednesday afternoon. The court was renamed as Al Attles Court. Former Golden State Warriors player and coach Al Attles serves root beer floats during the Oakland A’s celebrity root beer float day at the East Side Club at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009. (Jane Tyska/Staff) 2005 FILE PHOTO–Former Golden State Warriors head coach Al Attles, left, poses for a photo with former team owner Franklin Mieuli during a half-time ceremony to mark the 30-year anniversary of the 1975 team that won the NBA title, in this March 28, 2005 file photo, at the Coliseum Arena in Oakland, Calif. (D. Ross Cameron/Staff) Golden State Warriors’ legend Al Attles acknowledges the crowd as Nate Thurmond, left, looks on during a special tribute to Attles as part of the NBA Hardwood Classics Month during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first half of an NBA game at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011. The team wore classic uniforms from 1974-75 NBA championship season that includes special patch honoring late former owner Franklin Mieuli. (Ray Chavez/Staff) Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, shakes hands with former coach Al Attles after Game 5 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals against the Houston Rockets in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, May 27, 2015. The Warriors won 104-90. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) Heather Tacceta, left, Associated Press Archives rightFormer Golden State Warriors player and coach Al Attles and his wife Wilhelmina wave to fans along Broadway during the team’s NBA championship victory parade in downtown Oakland, Calif., on Friday, June 19, 2015. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Former Golden State Warriors player Rick Barry, left, congratulates former Warriors player and coach Al Attles as they celebrate Attles’ 80th birthday after the first quarter of the Warriors NBA game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 7, 2016. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Former Golden State Warriors head coach Al Attles, left, accepts the NBA Coaches Association’s Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle before Game 2 of basketball’s NBA Finals between the Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, June 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant (35) talks with former Warriors Al Attles before receiving the “Alvin Attles Community Impact Award” before the Warriors game against the New Orleans Pelicans for Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference semifinals at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, May 8, 2018. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Former Golden State Warriors Rick Barry and Al Attles attend a dedication ceremony at Chase Center, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019, before the team’s first game back in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) Al Attles stands at center court and waves to the audience before their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Al Attles attends a dedication ceremony for Chase Center, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019, before the Golden State Warrior’s first home game back in San Francisco, Calif. Attles is a link to the team’s first west coast championship. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)