While numerous associations fail so easily, only death could put an end to Al Attles’ partnership with the Warriors. Little did the Philadelphia Warriors of the 1960s know that the player who was once unsure about joining would remain with the franchise until it became the Golden State Warriors and only bid farewell as he left this world at 87.

Throughout his 6 decade-long career, Attles played multiple roles in the franchise. This includes his decade-long career as a player, and then subsequent roles as coach and general manager. So, let’s have a closer look at each aspect of the longest-running warrior’s legacy.

Al Attles — not just a proficient defender, but a ferocious player and leader

Standing just six feet tall, Attles was a tough competitor on the court, earning the nickname The Destroyer. But do not get confused; the name was not intended to imply that he would destroy a team with his performance. He received the name in its literal sense after breaking the Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes’ jaw. It wasn’t as if the Warriors star threw a punch at Schayes, but it was just his intensity in pursuing the ball.

There is yet another popular story about The Destroyer’s aggression. One where he overpowered the ex-Piston star Bob Ferry to the extent that Wilt Chamberlain had to carry Ferry off-court. “I had to get to my boy before he killed Ferry,” Wilt said in an interview. But what about Al Attles’ contribution to his team as a player?

Well, the 6 ft player was not much of a scorer and averaged 8.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg throughout his career. But it’s not like the 6 ft star never had his moments. Ask any person who witnessed or heard of his 1962 game against the New York Knicks, where he scored 17 points with 8-on-8 shooting.

Al’s play-making skills were also decent at 3.5 assists per game, but he surely dominated when it came to defense. However, it’s just unfortunate that the NBA back then did not keep a count of blocks or steals. So, there is no data available in those departments for Al Attles. Playing 11 seasons for the team, Attles entered the playoffs in 7 seasons. But, it seems the luck was never enough for him to land a championship. This was something destined for the 6 ft star in his next role for the franchise.

Attles’ tenure with the Warriors as a head coach and as an executive

It may surprise some modern-day basketball fans that Attles took the position of Warriors’ head coach while he was still playing in 1968. And then he got promoted to the position of a head coach in 1970 — also while he was still in the league. The reported motive behind the decision was that Al did not want any other player to be an enforcer of his strategy by then.

However, after his retirement as a player in 1971, he became just a full-time coach for the team. But it was not as if the 6 ft star lost his aggression after transitioning into a new role, not even an ounce of it. In fact, Al Attles remains one of the few coaches in NBA history to be removed from the court during a Finals game. This came during the season 1974-75 Finals series, where Attles coached the Warriors to a 3-0 lead against the then fan-favorite Washington Bullets.

It all started with the Bullets’ Bob Riordan taking a cheap shot at Rick Barry, who retaliated with a shove. But before things escalated further and Barry faced an ejection, Al stepped in and threw some hands. Although he faced an ejection, the Warriors managed a 4-0 clean sweep against the Bullets. And thus came the third NBA championship for the team, which also became their last for the next 40 years.

Through his duration as the Warriors’ head coach, The Destroyer managed a win percentage of 51.8% until he stepped down from the position in 1983. It is worth mentioning that Attles was also the team’s General Manager when he helmed the team’s journey to the championship. He held the position from 1976 to 1986, bringing in talent such as future HOF Robert Parish and Chris Mullin.

But even after stepping down as the GM, Al Attles’ association with the Warriors continued as an advisor, team ambassador, and community representative. Fans may even have spotted the former NBA star at most of the Warriors’ games till a certain time. His contribution to the game did not go unrecognized as he found his place in the HOF in 2019. With no other player having an association with a single franchise for this long, Al only left the Warriors with his departure from this world on 20 August 2024.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.