Providing over 50 consecutive years of uninterrupted service to the Golden State Warriors
NEW ORLEANS, LA AND SPRINGFIELD, MA – Player, Coach, Executive, Alvin Attles has been selected to receive the 2014 John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award by The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, announced today at NBA All-Star weekend.
The Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award was instituted by the Board of Trustees of the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1973 and is the most prestigious award presented by the Hall of Fame outside of Enshrinement. Named in honor of Hall of Famer John W. Bunn (Class of 1964), the first chairman of the Basketball Hall of Fame Committee who served from 1949-1964, the award honors coaches, players and contributors whose outstanding accomplishments have impacted the high school, college, professional or International game.
“Alvin Attles contributed over 50 years to the Warriors and to the game of basketball, making him the perfect recipient of this year’s John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “He impacted the lives of so many as a player, coach, ambassador and executive during his NBA tenure. We are honored to recognize Coach Attles with this prestigious award.”
Attles, spent more than 50 consecutive years with the Golden State Warriors as player, player-coach, coach, general manager, vice-president and consultant. He led the Warriors to West Coast version’s first and only NBA Championship (1975), the first time two African American head coaches faced off in the finals.
He attended North Carolina A&T State University from 1956-1960 later going on to play for the NBA’s Philadelphia Warriors from 1960-62. After his short stint in Philadelphia, Attles moved with the team to San Francisco/Golden State where he joined the team at the end of the 1962 season until 1971. During his time as a player with the Warriors, Attles recorded 6,328 points, 2463 rebounds and 2,483 assists in eleven NBA seasons. Being one of only five Warriors players to have his number retired.
Concluding his playing career, Attles later became one of the first African American coaches in the NBA when he was named player-coach for the warriors during the 1969-70 season. He coached the Warriors until 1983, compiling a record of 557-518 (.518). Attles became the winningest coach in Warriors history, leading them to two Pacific Division Titles (1975,1976) and recording seven consecutive winning seasons (1971-78). He coached the Western Conference All-Star team in 1975 and 1976, later becoming the general manager of the Warriors from 1983-86. Attles serves as the community-relations ambassador for the Warriors.
Attles will be presented the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2014 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ceremonies, to be held at the “Hall of Fame Family Reunion Dinner” in August. For more information, please visit www.hoophall.com.
Previous John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award Winners
1973 - John Bunn
1974 - John Wooden
1975 - J. Walter Kennedy
1976 - Henry P. Iba
1977 - Clifford B. Fagan
1978 - Curt Gowdy
1979 - Eddie Gottlieb
1980 - Arnold "Red" Auerbach
1981 - Ray Meyer
1982 - Daniel Biasone
1983 - Robert J. Cousy
1984 - Lawrence F. O'Brien
1985 - Lee Williams
1986 - Grady W. Lewis
1987 - David R. Gavitt
1988 - Haskell Hillyard
1989 - George E. Killian
1990 - Pat Head Summitt
1991 - Morgan B. Wootten
1992 - Will Robinson
1993 - Joe Vancisin
1994 - William Wall
1995 - Pete Carlesimo
1996 - Vic Bubas
1997 - C.M. Newton
1998 - Tex Winter
1999 - The Harlem Globetrotters
2000 - Meadowlark Lemon
2001 - Tom Jernstedt
2002 - Harvey Pollack
2003 - Joe O'Brien
2004 - Zelda Spoelstra
2005 - Marty Blake
2006 - Betty Jaynes
2007 - Thomas "Satch" Sanders
2008 - Val Ackerman
2009 - Johnny "Red" Kerr
2010 - Don Meyer
2011 - Brian McIntyre
2012 - Pat Williams
2013 - George Raveling
2014 - Alvin Attles