Golden State Warriors: Top 20 Draft Picks in History
By Ryan Viera
14. Al Attles
Al Attles jersey number is one of six retired by the Golden State franchise. As the 39th overall pick of the Philadelphia Warriors in 1960, many would say the Warriors got quite a steal with their selection. Attles played all 11 of his NBA seasons with the Warriors and while he was never an All-Star, averaging 8.9 points per game for his career, it was his impact after he retired that makes him a Warrior legend.
Attles became one of the first African-American coaches in the NBA when he was named player-coach for the 1969-1970 season, a job he continued until the next season when he made the switch to coaching exclusively. He coached the San Francisco Warriors through their transition to the Golden State team name we know today before finally calling it quits in 1983.
As coach, he was responsible for eight winning seasons including seven straight from 1971-1978. To this day, Attles has more coaching wins than any coach in Warriors franchise history with 557, and most importantly coached the Warriors to their 3rd championship in 1975, their first since 1956.
Attles helped break down barriers and helped pave the way for other African-American coaches in the league. His impact on the league extends far past his playing days and coaching. He’s a Warriors legend in every sense of the term.