During his more than 60-year career with the Warriors, Attles set a lot of amazing records.
The Golden State Warriors paid a moving tribute to Alvin Attles, a legend in the team’s history who died on Tuesday at the age of 87.
For a special video, the NBA team used moving words from Wilt Chamberlain, another great Warriors player, about the former point guard, coach, executive, and ambassador for Golden State.
After the Warriors confirmed Attles’ death on Wednesday, the video came out. It began with old footage of the New Jersey native walking into the team’s practice facility.
INGLEWOOD, CA – NOVEMBER 20: Wilt Chamberlain waves during Gail Goodrich’s Jersey Retirement prior to a game between th Los Angeles Lakers and the Utah Jazz on November 20, 1996 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1996 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
He stopped to look at a banner on the wall that celebrated the team’s NBA title in 1975. It was hanging next to retired jerseys from the team, including his own.
It was then possible to hear Chamberlain, who died in 1999, talking about his old teammate’s character in an old interview.
The famous center said, “Nobody I’ve ever met doesn’t like Al Attles.”
“And I think that that’s totally unique, especially in our game of professional sports, because the man, above all, is a man of character.”
The video then showed a profile of Attles, with Warriors announcer Bob Fitzgerald giving the speech.
The 6-foot-1 guard was interviewed, and highlights from his playing days and his 2019 Hall of Fame speech were shown.
Some of the clips showed him laughing with Golden State stars from now, like Steph Curry and Draymond Green.
Steve Kerr, the head coach, showed up and talked about how Attles was the “face of our franchise” for years.
At the end of the video, there was a shot of him walking off the screen after the first shot of him at the practice facility.
“Attles died with his family by his side at his home in the San Francisco Bay Area,” the Warriors said in a statement.
His 11-season career was with the team, which he joined two years before it moved from Philadelphia to Northern California in 1962.
Because he was so good at defense and tough on the court, people called him “The Destroyer.”
The player from North Carolina A&T scored 17 points, which was second on the team, on the night that Chamberlain scored a historic 100 points against the New York Knicks in 1962.
Between 1970 and 1983, Attles was the Warriors’ head coach. In the 1975 NBA Finals, he led the team to its first championship.
With 557 wins, he is still the team’s winningest head coach.
Attles worked for Golden State for more than 60 years in different roles.
Because of this, he will have spent more time with one team than anyone else in NBA history.
What the Warriors said about Alvin’s death: “He leaves behind a profound legacy in the game of basketball and the Bay Area community, but especially as a family man and humanitarian.”
“We mourn his loss alongside his wife, Wilhelmina, son Alvin, and all who knew and loved him.
