The former player, coach, and executive of the Warriors, Alvin Attles recently passed away at the age of 87. Also known as The Destroyer, Attles was a longtime member of the Warriors franchise. The Philadelphia Warriors drafted the 24-year-old in the 1960 NBA Draft. Attles was a 6-footer who played point guard alongside the great Wilt Chamberlain. Although his playing career was just 11 years long, Attles became the assistant coach of the Warriors while also playing as their primary guard.

Yes, Attles was a player as well as coach of the Warriors at one point. However, just a couple of years following his double role, Alvin Attles became the head coach of the franchise in 1970. As many would know, he led the Warriors to their third title in 1975. He then went on to work as the GM of the Dubs after bagging the most wins as a head coach, 557-518. Moreover, the Destroyer was on the Warriors’ payroll for 58 years! This is the longest streak by any individual in the league.

In 2017, Attles became a recipient of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award. But how did the franchise honor him? Well, Stephen Curry poured his respect for the longtime Warriors member before their next home game. “To know how much he means to our organization and all his success, the ’74-’75 team… Just from his legacy as a Warrior and what he means to Bay Area and Warrior basketball is unbelievable and everybody is inspired to be hanging on the rafters next to him… And the fact that he’s still involved with the organization is huge. Impacting community, being a positive presence all throughout the organization, that’s huge.”,  Steph said about Attles’ legacy.

But the honors didn’t end there. As the Dubs prepared to take on the Wizards at home, the squad rocked the classic jersey from the 70s, a tribute. It just showed how valuable Attles was to the franchise for decades. Moreover, the NBA legend was a close friend of Wilt Chamberlain and was even part of his 100-point performance.

The Golden State Warriors mourned Alvin Attles’ loss

Joe Lacob, the majority owner of the Warriors shared his thoughts on Attles as a longtime Warriors member. “He has flourished in every role and responsibility over the last 60 years, from player to coach to general manager and, most recently, as an ambassador. And he’s done it with an incredible amount of class and humility.”, said Lacob. Warriors legend, Rick Barry, also poured his respect for Attles who was his teammate as well as the head coach.

The Warriors, as a franchise, saw a drastic growth in the last decade or so. Of course, Alvin was part of this movement. Winning their first title after 40 years, Attles did not miss the championship parade, watching his team celebrate the long-awaited Finals win. Attles’ legacy with the Warriors will live on as the franchise moves ahead.

Feel that you can do with another update from the sport of basketball? Then do check out this recent interview with the up-and-coming Georgia Lady Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.