Sports

NBA Legend Alvin Attles Dead At 87

View of American basketball coach (and former player) Alvin Attles, of the Golden State Warriors, on the sidelines during a game, against the Atlanta Hawks, at the Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California, March 1979. (Photo by Janet Fries/Getty Images)

(Photo by Janet Fries/Getty Images)

Andrew Powell Sports and Entertainment Blogger
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Warriors legend and NBA Hall of Famer Alvin Attles passed away Tuesday surrounded by family. He was 87.

Attles spent over 60 years with the Warriors organization as a player, general manager and team ambassador, helping lead the franchise to the 1975 NBA championship. Golden State made the announcement Wednesday that Attles died Tuesday while at his home in the San Francisco Bay Area. (RELATED: Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards Makes Absolutely Absurd Claim Regarding Michael Jordan And The NBA In The 90s)

Nicknamed “The Destroyer” because of his physicality, Attles only played and worked for the Warriors. He was drafted by the team in 1960 in the fifth round when they were still based in Philadelphia. In the entire history of the NBA, Attles’ run with the Warriors is the longest stretch with one team for a single individual.

In 11 campaigns (711 games) with the Warriors, Attles tallied a career average of 8.9 points per game, 3.5 assists per game and 3.5 rebounds-per-game. The Warriors later went on to retire his No. 16 jersey.

“Most of the great organizations with a lot of history have one player who everybody associates with that franchise,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. “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.”