A BAY AREA GEM 

A BAY AREA GEM

In celebration of Black History Month, Sports Business Simulations acknowledges those who have contributed to the world of sports.



A BAY AREA GEM
Golden State Warriors Vice President and General Manager Alvin Attles helped lead his 1974-1975 Cinderella team to their one and only championship.

By Felicia D. McDaniel
Sports Business Simulations

When you mention the history of sports in Oakland you think of the success of the Raiders and the Oakland Athletics. When you mention the Golden State Warriors and the playoffs, Don Nelson and the Run-TMC era come to mind. However, it was under the tenure of Alvin "Al" Attles, that the Warriors celebrated their greatest achievement, winning an NBA Championship 30-years ago.

The second African-American to win an NBA Championship, (Bill Russell was the first) Al Attles originally didn't want to be head coach of the Golden State Warriors. Already a player on the team, then owner Frank Mieuli told him there was going to be changes made and he was being considered for the head coaching position. Attles declined, stating he felt taking over the team wouldn't make a difference in their already losing season.

"I grudgingly took the position," said Attles, "I finished coaching the remainder of the 1969-1970 season and we finished with the exact same wins as the prior year." That may have felt like a hopeless case for some but Attles noticed the effort his former teammates and current players gave. "They worked just as hard with the remaining 30 games when I took over. After that, I said I would come back for one year."

A Newark, New Jersey native, Attles began playing organized ball in middle school. Although he enjoyed playing various sports he credits basketball for giving him the opportunity to get an education. "It was a godsend for me," he said.

That godsend earned him a scholarship for basketball at the historical black college, North Carolina A&T where he earned his BA in Physical Education and History in 1960.

As fate would have it, he avoided being drafted by the NBA and played guard for the Baltimore Bullets of the Eastern League, a minor league team that drafted him out of college. A feared defender on the court, he earned $100 per game for a three-day weekend of play.

He later headed to the Philadelphia Warriors camp in Hershey, Pennsylvania and was offered an original contract of $5500 for 79 games after 20 pre-season games in 1960. In his 11-year playing career, the most he would earn for his hard-nosed style of play would be $100,000; pocket change for today's players.

"You're worth what someone is willing to pay you," said the 44-year veteran who has the second longest streak with the same organization behind the Boston Celtics owner Red Auerbach.

Attles took the Warriors to the playoffs his first three years as head coach and the best was yet to come. Heading into the 1974-1975 NBA Finals as the underdog, many expected them to be swept by the highly touted Washington Bullets.

But it would be Golden State doing the sweeping of the former Washington Bullets 4-0 in the 1974-1975 NBA Championship game. The sweep was a derivative of the gritty play of Rick Barry, the defensive power of Clifford Ray and the smooth shooting of Keith "Jamaal" (Silk) Wilkes.

"It was a huge step. You can't win unless you're in it and you can't win the championship unless you're in the playoffs," Attles says.

Humble and sincere, he credits his coaches for his success. "You don't go into a coaching situation with your eyes closed and no expectations. I had no idea what I was doing, Frank Mieuli saw something I didn't see."

Former player Rick Barry sees it differently and credits Attles for a hard work ethic. "He coached me when it mattered and he always came with the right kind of attitude, we were playing hard all the time," says the hall-of-famer, also a teammate of Attles. "Al did something coaches are reluctant to do today and that's use his bench."

An innovator of X's and O's, Attles did what a lot of coaches are skeptical of doing today, playing his rookies. "It was a fantasy year, the biggest upset in major sports history. People expected us to be losing, it was pretty special," Barry fondly recalls.

Unfazed about the lack of notoriety his team received then and today, Attles notes, "There just wasn't publicity in those days and the other two teams had been here longer.We were just a nice team that nobody expected anything from."

He continues, "There were no illusions, I simply let them know, if you work towards a common goal and approach it the same way, you will have success," he said in his velvety trademark voice.

Attles coached for 13 years in the NBA, retiring after the 1982-1983 season. He guided the Warriors to six playoffs, two division titles and one NBA championship. As Vice President and GM, he offers his consulting expertise to the Warriors and can often be seen meeting and greeting fans at games.