Tuesday marked a sad day for NBA fans as we said goodbye to an absolute legend of the sport. Alvin Attles passed away on Tuesday at the age of 87. “Alvin leaves behind a profound legacy within the game of basketball and the Bay Area community, but especially as a family man and humanitarian,” stated the Golden State Warriors on Instagram. “We mourn his loss alongside his wife, Wilhelmina, son Alvin, and all who knew and loved him.”
Attles spent a decade with the Warriors in various ways. He began his NBA career with the Warriors in 1960 when he was drafted as a fifth-round pick for the formerly “Philadelphia Warriors.” In 1962, Attles followed the Philadelphia Warriors franchise and moved to the San Francisco Bay area, where the team name was officially changed to the Golden State Warriors.
Attlets remained a star player for the Warriors until he took on a new title. In 1968, Attles was brought on as an assistant coach for the Warriors for two consecutive years. Even with this promotion to assistant coach, Attles remained a player for the Warriors. Then, in the 1969-1970 season, Attles was promoted to head coach while remaining a player.
After the 1971 season, Attles finally hung up his jersey for good. He retired as a Warriors player but remained the Warriors’ head coach until the 1982-1983 season. Attles made history during his reign as the Warriors’ head coach, as he was one of the first African American coaches in the NBA.
However, after stepping down as head coach for the Warriors after the 1982-1983 season, Attles remained a part of the franchise. Attles became the Warriors’ general manager after the 1982-1983 season and kept this role for three consecutive years. During his time as GM, Attles helped draft many Warriors legends, like Hall of Famer Chris Mullin.
After leaving the Warriors’ GM role, Attles stepped back into the franchise as an assistant coach during the 1994-95 season and also worked in the front office as a vice president and consultant. Attles spent over 60 years with the Golden State Warriors, the longest an individual has spent with a franchise in the NBA by far.
Attles was then inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019. Eventually, the Golden State Warriors retired his iconic No. 16, cementing the number 16 as his legacy with the Warriors forever. Alvin Attles may be gone, but his legacy with the Warriors and the NBA will live on for decades to come.
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