Al Attles, pioneering NBA coach and Warriors ambassador, dead at 87

Al Attles, the second African American to coach an NBA team to a championship, died in Oakland, California, on Aug. 21 at the age of 87. No cause of death was released, but he had been in hospice care for some weeks.

Playing his entire career before the NBA-ABA merger, Attles was known as “The Destroyer” at point guard for the Philadelphia Warriors, who moved to San Francisco shortly after his arrival. He remained with the team throughout his time as a player and thereafter as a coach and front-office staffer.

“Alvin Attles did not just epitomize what it meant to be a Warrior—he was Mr. Warrior,” the team, now known as the Golden State Warriors, said in a statement.

“He leaves behind a profound legacy within the game of basketball and the Bay Area community, but especially as a family man and humanitarian.”

Born in Newark, New Jersey, Attles attended North Carolina A&T State University, where he led the Aggies to back-to-back CIAA conference titles in 1958 and 1959 under legendary coach Cal Irvin. Drafted by the Warriors the next year, Attles went on to become the team’s second-in-command, showcasing his talents alongside fellow future Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain.

The team moved to San Francisco in 1962, where Attles became known as a reserve for his prowess as a scrappy defender, helping the team to the 1964 NBA Finals. There, they fell short to the Boston Celtics during the latter’s historic run of success with Bill Russell and company under coach Arnold “Red” Auerbach. 

Attles would return to the Finals with the Warriors three years later, losing to the Philadelphia 76ers—the team that had replaced them in Pennsylvania—led by the Warriors’ former star Chamberlain.

Unlike his erstwhile teammate, Attles was known off the court as a family man, enjoying life with his wife and children as a teetotaler. According to a report at the height of his coaching career, he was a “devout Catholic.”

Though Attles never reached the mountaintop as a player, he saw continued success after a brief stint as a player-coach in the 1969-70 season, becoming one of the first Black head coaches in the league. He retired as a player the following season, staying on with the Warriors to lead the team full-time. With star forward Rick Barry, Attles coached the Warriors to the 1975 NBA championship against the Washington Bullets, completing a 4-0 sweep recognized as one of the biggest upsets in Finals history.

The Warriors failed to excel in Attles’ latter years as a coach, though he finished his head coaching career in 1983 with over 550 wins and a 0.518 winning percentage—good for the top 100 in NBA history.

Attles stayed on with the Warriors front office for the next four decades, first as a general manager and later as a vice president, consultant, and team ambassador. His more than 60 years of employment with the team made him the longest-tenured employee in NBA history.

Attles’ John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014 kicked off a series of honors he received in his later life. In 2015, he became the first NCA&T athlete to have his number officially retired, having received the honor from the Warriors in 1977. 

"Mr. Attles left an indelible mark on the school he loved, North Carolina A&T State University, and the entire basketball world," said NCA&T athletics director Earl M. Hilton III. 

"In so many ways, he exemplified Aggie Pride in how he carried himself as a professional and a fixture in the Bay Area community. We mourn his loss along with his family and everyone who knew and loved him."

The 2010s marked a return to the national spotlight for Attles, as the Warriors became NBA champions again for the first time since Attles’ coaching run. He was included in the 2015 championship parade as it ran through the streets of downtown Oakland, repeating the appearance in 2022 after the Warriors won their first championship after moving back to San Francisco.

Following the Warriors’ championship in 2017, Attles was honored for his service to the team, though he was unable to attend the in-game ceremony due to a hospitalization. The same year, he received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Basketball Coaches Association, two years before his enshrinement in the Naismith Hall of Fame.

“I expected to become a schoolteacher, yet I got drafted in the sixth round… I only took one pair of shorts because I thought the team would release me, but God had other plans,” he said in an acceptance speech video.

“I didn’t have the gifts and talents that most of the other players had, but I did it my way.”

In September, the Warriors announced plans to don a “16” band on their jerseys during the upcoming 2024-25 seasons to honor Attles via his retired number. They will also hold a moment of silence for him during their home opener against the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct. 27 at the Chase Center, alongside a video tribute. Several Warriors players, current and former, paid tribute to the Hall of Famer following his death.

Attles is survived by his wife Wilhelmina; their children, Alvin III and Ericka; four grandchildren; and one great-grandson. Funeral arrangements were not made public, though the family noted that memorial donations can be made to the Attles Center for Excellence in Oakland.

Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.

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