Legendary Golden State Warriors player and coach Alvin Attles died Tuesday at the age of 87, according to an announcement from the team.
Attles died surrounded by family at his East Bay home. His cause of death was not released.
Starting when he was picked by the then-Philadelphia Warriors in the fifth round of the 1960 draft, Attles spent more than 60 years with the team as a player, coach, general manager, vice president and consultant, according to a statement on the team’s website.
“He was a dear friend, mentor and role model and someone I admired tremendously and tried to emulate,” said Chris Mullin, who played with the Warriors for 12 years starting in 1985 when Attles drafted him with the seventh overall pick.
“He set the standard for all of us when it comes to integrity and humility and was truly a champion both on and off the court. There will never be another Alvin Attles,” Mullin said.
Attles, whose number 16 was retired by the team, played for the Warriors for 11 years, during which he averaged 8.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 711 regular-season games, according to team officials.
As a coach, he racked up the most regular season wins — 557 — in team history over his 13-year career and in 1975 led the Warriors to their first NBA championship as a Bay Area team, sweeping the Washington Bullets in the Finals and becoming the second Black head coach to hoist that trophy.
“Alvin Attles did not just epitomize what it meant to be a Warrior — he was Mr. Warrior. He leaves behind a profound legacy within the game of basketball and the Bay Area community, but especially as a family man and humanitarian,” team officials said in a statement Wednesday. “We mourn his loss alongside his wife, Wilhelmina, son Alvin, and all who knew and loved him.”
Known as “The Destroyer,” Attles’ teammates at various times included Hall of Famers Rick Barry, Nate Thurmond and Wilt Chamberlain.
Attles, a New Jersey native, was himself inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.
“My heart is heavy today with the loss of my mentor and friend. Al was my roommate during my rookie season in the league. He taught me valuable lessons on being a professional that couldn’t be learned on the court,” Barry said. “Later, as our coach during the 1975 championship season, he exemplified leadership, togetherness and a keen strategic ability that enabled us to succeed at the highest level.”