Al Attles

Al Attles earned the nickname “The Destroyer” during his days playing for the Philadelphia, and later relocated, San Francisco Warriors. He was an enforcer, albeit an unusual one, standing only six feet tall, a full head shorter than the big forwards and even bigger centers that Attles so coolly sparred with on occasion. Attles was drafted in the fifth round by the Warriors in the 1960 NBA Draft, the same year Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, and Lenny Wilkens entered the league. Over the next six decades, Attles managed to work for his beloved Warriors as a player, player-coach, head coach, general manager, vice-president, and consultant. His greatest triumph came in 1975 when Attles coached the underdog Warriors to a four-game sweep of the Washington Bullets in the NBA Finals. Attles won 557 games as the head man in Oakland, his coaching style proving more low-key than his disposition as a player. In 14 seasons, the Warriors reached the playoffs six times. As a general manager, Attles helped bring talent to the Bay Area including Chris Mullin, Robert Parish, and coach George Karl. The Destroyer was a cornerstone in the Warriors long history, enjoying one of the longest associations with a single franchise ever.