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Alvin Attles was a longtime NBA player, coach, executive and Basketball Hall of Famer who spent more than 60 years with the Golden State Warriors.
The Legacy of Alvin Attles
Born in Newark, New Jersey, Alvin Attles earned his master’s degree from North Carolina A&T State University before being drafted by the Philadelphia Warriors. He followed the team to San Francisco in 1962, when it became the Golden State Warriors, and remained with the organization for the rest of his career.
Attles played 11 years, earning the nickname “Destroyer” for his defensive strength. He then became a coach while still a member of the team, serving as an assistant coach and player-coach. The 1970-71 season was his final season as a player, at which time he became the full-time head coach. A few years later, he led his team to the 1975 championship, becoming the second black coach in the NBA – after Bill Russell (1934–2022) – to win the NBA title.
Attles resigned as coach in 1983 and joined the Warriors’ management, becoming the team’s general manager until 1986. He returned to coaching duties as an assistant coach for the 1994–95 season.
Attles won the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014, and his number was retired by the Warriors. In 2019, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame and has won the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, among other honors.
Tributes to Alvin Attles
Full obituary: CBS Sports
