Al Attles Dies at 87; Warriors Legend Was Inducted into Basketball HOF in 2019

Basketball Hall of Famer and Golden State Warriors legend Al Attles died Tuesday at the age of 87, the Warriors announced on Wednesday.

Attles, who was a member of the Hall of Fame class of 2019, served as player, coach and general manager of the Warriors franchise for over two decades.

"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."

Warriors coach Steve Kerr added: "Most of the great organizations with a lot of history have one player who everybody associates with that franchise. Al Attles is that guy for us. He's the face of our franchise for many generations of Warriors fans. We're lucky to have him."

Attles was selected by the Philadelphia Warriors in the fifth round of the 1960 draft. He appeared in 711 games in his career and averaged 8.9 points, 3.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds. When the legendary Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a game between the Warriors and New York Knicks on March 2, 1962, Attles chipped in 11 points.

After his playing career came to an end, Attles immediately transitioned to coaching and became one of the first Black head coaches in NBA history. He coached the Warriors from 1970 to 1983 and led the team to the 1975 NBA championship with a four-game sweep of the Washington Bullets.

Attles later served as general manager of the Warriors for three seasons and held vice president and consultant roles in the front office. His No. 16 jersey was retired by the franchise.

In addition to his enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 2019, Attles was previously honored with the Hall of Fame's John R. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.