Al Attles, former Warriors player, coach, GM, dies at 87 - ESPN

Al Attles, a Hall of Famer who coached the 1975 NBA champion Warriors and spent more than six decades with the organization as a player, general manager and, most recently, team ambassador, has died. He was 87.

The Warriors announced Wednesday that Attles died in his San Francisco Bay Area home Tuesday surrounded by family.

Nicknamed «The Destroyer» for his physical style of play, the Warriors were his love and his only team after the team, then in Philadelphia, selected him in the fifth round of the 1960 draft. It marks the longest stint with a single franchise for one person in league history. The 6-foot guard averaged 8.9 points, 3.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 711 games with the Warriors over 11 seasons, and his No. 16 jersey was retired by the franchise.

«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.»

Attles, one of the first Black head coaches in the NBA, was witness to some of the greatest games in different eras. He played in Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game for the Philadelphia Warriors in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on March 2, 1962, when Attles made all eight of his field goal tries for 17 points.

He also coached Hall of Famer Rick Barry the day he scored 64 against Portland on March 26, 1974, and watched Klay Thompson drop 60 points over three quarters in December 2016.

«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