NBA Hall of Famer and Warriors Legend Al Attles Passes Away at 87

Al Attles, a prominent NBA guard, coach, and executive, has died at the age of 87. Attles had a long association with the Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Golden State Warriors.

The Golden State Warriors released a statement highlighting Attles' significance to the team: “Alvin Attles did not just epitomize what it meant to be a Warrior—he was Mr. Warrior. 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 played for the Warriors from 1961 to 1971 and served as the team's coach from 1970 to 1983. Over his extensive career with the franchise, he was involved in some capacity for over 60 years.

As a player, Attles, who was a product of North Carolina A&T and originally from Newark, New Jersey, averaged double-digit points per game and ranked in the NBA's top 20 in assists four times.

In his final two seasons as a player-coach, Attles led the Warriors to an NBA Championship in 1975. The Finals that year featured the first championship series between two Black coaches in North American sports history, with Attles' Warriors facing off against the Washington Bullets, coached by K.C. Jones.