Attles coaching credentials went beyond on-court accomplishments. [9] He was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. The voice of the iconic Bill King rang out. (1999) and Black Magic (2008). Toscano-Anderson was born and raised in East Oakland. All my life, my family and I have seen a Hall of Fame man. That's when fate intervened. He won an NBA championship in 1975, which made him the second African-American coach to do so, joining Bill Russell. I am starting to accept that and who I am. After joining the former Philadelphia Warriors in 1960 as the clubs fifth-round draft choice, Attles became known as The Destroyer during his 11-year NBA career because of his unyielding physical presence along with 8.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists. But the more we thought about it, the more we knew we wanted to tell people about the things that make my father special to us. Golden State Warriors Established 1946 | 7-time NBA Champions October 6, 2021 2:43 PM PDT Twenty years ago, Juan Toscano-Anderson was initially introduced to basketball by his third grade teacher,. Toscano-Anderson penned a personal note on the jersey reading: I wouldnt be wearing this jersey if it werent for you, Toscano-Anderson humbly shared with her. And playing alongside players such as Steph Curry and Draymond Green and seeing the championship trophies the Warriors won without him is constantly humbling him and serves as reminders as to what level he wants to reach. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? She named him Juan. Toscano-Anderson was introduced to basketball, specifically Warriors basketball when Wilhelmina Attles -- wife of Warriors legend Al Attles and Toscano-Anderson's former teacher at Stonehurst Elementary School -- got him involved with the Warriors' youth program. My father is a true example of hard work, commitment and unwavering integrity. It never happened because The Destroyer rushed to Barrys defense, leisure suit and all. As Toscano-Anderson said, he didn't ever believe he'd play for the same team he grew up cheering on. I was just like, This is insane, Toscano-Anderson said. Golden State Warriors | Although I never quite understood the one-half-of-one-percent phrase, at five years old I understood that my father was a practical man. In other words, Toscano-Anderson made his NBA debut for a team that has been a continual thread throughout his life. (Staff Archives), Oakland, CA Circa 1980 - Al Attles on the sidelines of a Golden State Warriors Basktball game. Just as he was starting to contemplate life without basketball, he got a call from the Mexican national team, which wanted to fly him to Mexico City for a tryout. The Jersey Jet) Position: Point Guard Shoots: Right 6-0 , 175lb (183cm, 79kg) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info Hall of Fame 16 16 16 SUMMARY Career G 711 PTS 8.9 TRB 3.5 AST 3.5 FG% 45.1 FT% 63.2 PER 11.3 WS 36.5 Al Attles Overview Game Logs Game-by-game stat line for the player 1960-61 1961-62 1962-63 To see your child living his dream, it means everything.. It also unlocked his passion for basketball. "I'm super excited, obviously for myself to be on the team and continue to play basketball, but this is a life-changing contract. (Karl Mondon/Staff Archives), Oakland, CA January 31, 1989 - Golden State Warriors head coach Al Attles in his office. Before Letourneau joined The Chronicle, he covered the Oregon State Beavers for The Oregonian. For those 20 or so minutes, he was like any other kid, giggling as he beat his classmates in footraces or pickup basketball games. (By Dino Vournas/Straff Archives), Oakland, CA January 23, 1980 - Golden State Warriors basketball coach Al Attles rejoices. She also helped him get on the Oakland Rebels AAU basketball team. But after he came home from practice earlier that day complaining of knee pain, Patricia had given him Tylenol with Codeine. On the occasion of his fathers induction into, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Chart: Bay Area rainfall totals for this week, On the occasion of his fathers induction into the basketball Hall of Fame, a son pays tribute, Steph Curry could return during Warriors next road trip, per reports, Kerrs game plan, the Warriors energy, lifted the Dubs to a much-needed win, Draymond Green explains his issue with Black History Month: Why do we get the shortest month?, Warriors come alive in third quarter to beat Portland, Steph Curry takes encouraging step in lead-up to return, though timetable still unknown. The team that selected him was the then Philadelphia Warriors. But The Town isn't Toscano-Anderson's only home. He became the first Warriors Basketball Camp alumni to play for the Dubs, and the third product of the camps to play in the NBA. Just make sure he gets there," Patricia recalls Mrs. Attles saying. One night, Raymond Young, the Oakland Rebels head coach, called Patricia and told her to make other babysitting arrangements. In the fall of his senior year at Castro Valley, he committed to Marquette. Not a bad story for someone who Dana says is such a great dude.. I look forward to meeting so many idols from my youth. Before returning to his luxury apartment near Chase Center in San Francisco, Toscano-Anderson feasts at his favorite Mexican restaurant, Mariscos La Costa on International Boulevard. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Ive always been a Warriors fan. Oakland is home to Juan Toscano-Anderson. Juan Toscano-Anderson loves letting people know where hes from, down to the block. You can waste them both.. Friends told her that he had blossomed into an all-state player at Castro Valley High School. When Toscano-Anderson shops at the Costco in San Leandro, strangers often thank him for organizing two protests in Oakland last spring against social injustice and police brutality. But my dads priorities even in a potentially life-changing situation, left a deep impression on me. And actually, that's what I'm about to go do. That showed me like, oh, I got a long way to go to get better.". Alvin Attles III is a writer, a filmmaker and the son of basketball Hall of Famer Al Attles. 2023 Getty Images. (Ron Riesterer / Oakland Tribune Staff Archives), Oakland, CA February 13, 1976 - Golden State Warriors basketball coach Al Attles at a press conference. To her surprise, she was having a boy. Jersey No. So, the Warriors themselves, for what they are, they've given me dreams. Al Attles is best known as a Basketball Player. Attles became an assistant coach in 1968, while still a player. I tried to provide a shoulder, just extra love and attention.. "Juan didn't know either. Thats what kind of jump started me playing basketball. When he is not watching the game, Attles is catching up with a former Warriors teammate or fan. You can too for just 11 cents a day for 11 months + receive a free Warriors Championship book. I'm from Oakland.". What Attles didnt know then was that Toscano-Anderson was homeless. A month after Juan enrolled at Montclair, Attles learned from a member of the parent-teacher association that Juan had been staying at a family members house over the holidays when an intruder shot and killed one of Juans relatives, then stole the Christmas presents from under the tree. Clifford, who referred to Attles as a father figure to all of us, argued that background helped black NBA players feel more comfortable learning because of the similar cultural background. Dont EVER touch my son. Willhemina Attles, wife of Warriors Hall of Famer Al Attles, holds a mug signed by current Warrior Juan Toscano-Anderson and his third-grade classmates from back in 2002 when Attles was. One family member who took them in for a period had a rule: Everyone needed to be out of the house by the time she left for work at 4 a.m. For the four hours before Patricia could drop her kids off at school, she watched as Juan read childrens books to his little sister and sang songs in their sedan. Golden State Warriors | Credit: It was 20 years ago when teacher Wilhelmina Attles, wife of former Warriors star player and coach Al Attles, encouraged Toscano-Anderson to play basketball. "To just have some better competition, there were a lot of kids there that were older than me, and that were actually pursuing basketball and had game. When Al put that uniform on, he gave you everything he had, Barry said. Attles, 82, arrived Friday for Game 4 of the NBA Finals with son Al Attles III to a warm welcome from security and arena staff. "I can get in where I fit in in the hood, and I can go to a quinceaeraand speak Spanish. He put everything he had into it, said Warriors guard Rick Barry, who both players with Attles (1965-67) and played for Attles (1974-78). So needless to say, basketball and the Bay Area are big parts of his life. But at the same time, knowing he is about to be making the most money he has ever made in his life, is a nice thought. And where else would he find out if he could play against the best than back home in the Bay Area? One day, my mother came home from a full day to find my father napping. I paint the city, man, Toscano-Anderson said. Similarly, Toscano-Anderson has always been a Warrior, since he was part of the organization's youth program in the third grade. My father is as humble as they come. Kerr wore a 1970s style suit similar to what Attles wore on the sideline. I dont care if he doesnt remember everything. HIs wise counsel, his unwavering loyalty, his great sense of humor, his deep compassion for others. Courtesy of Juan Toscano-Anderson's family. "I would say, like at home, it was just like all Mexican traditions. The team would make the playoffs only once more for the remainder of his tenure as coach. Once I leave Chase Center, I can drive across that bridge and go straight home and celebrate all of this with my family. Rather than voice her displeasure about her day in comparison to his relatively short day, she instead took her frustration out on the pots and pans in the kitchen. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? But hes home now and is getting a little bit stronger every day.. But I never really indulged in the culture, per se. Juan's third-grade teacher, Wilhelmina Attles -- wife of Warriors legend Al Attles -- set him up at a basketball camp. Heres why California has seen so much active weather. Toscano-Andersons performance at the 2015 FIBA Americas championship was enough to land him a contract from Mexicos top league. (Ray Chavez/Staff Archives). Then, one day in spring 2015, Attles received a small package containing a program from the Marquette University mens basketball program and a letter. Stephen Curry has not only led a Warriors resurgence since entering the league, he has changed the game with his long-distance shooting. The 28-year-old has become a keyrotation player for the Warriors, averaging 8.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.2 steals over the last 13 games, while shooting 63 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from deep in 29 minutes per game. (Staff Archives), Al Attles, former Golden State Warriors player and head coach, seen during an interview in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011. But it has been his standing in our family that has always held the most meaning for us. Workers in S.F. Because of those varying roles, Attles will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor on Sept. 6. By the time Juan was 14, Patricias goal for him was clear: college somewhere, anywhere and a life away from Oakland. Steve (Kerr) has never made me feel like I was on a two-way. As Toscano-Anderson said, money has never been the driving factor for him. The bigger picture to my father was always his family, and the Warriors had become his family. One would think, such brushes with greatness might change a person. I just, I was living in urban culture. She just changed my life, Toscano-Anderson shared. He shot and killed Juan on 92nd Avenue. Either before the game or a during a timeout, they walk toward the concourse atop the lower bowl. That got pretty boring after doing every day at recess. Heck, he wears it on his chest and back every time he puts on his Golden State Warriors jersey. At one point, the doctor thought they might not be able to save either one of us. The court was renamed as Al Attles Court. San Francisco is at its most unaffordable point in at least a decade, S.F. Seeing somebody from Oakland, it probably gives them a little more inspiration and a little more motivation like this guys where Im from, he grew up in the same neighborhood I grew up in.. I dont take any of that for granted., Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. In all, Attles has been a Warriors employee in some fashion for 57 years, going back to when he was drafted by the team in 1960. In 2014, Attles was the recipient of the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Awardan annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to an individual who has contributed significantly to the sport of basketball, the award is the highest and the most prestigious honor presented by the Basketball Hall of Fame other than enshrinement. Leave it to Toscano-Anderson to make his connection to the Bay Area known through his song of choice: Thizzle Dance by the late East Bay rapper Mac Dre. Over the next three years, he established himself as the countrys best player. But before he could play in a preseason game, Toscano-Anderson had to complete what has become a team tradition at the annual Open Practice: he had to sing. Toscano-Anderson was introduced to basketball, specifically Warriors basketball when Wilhelmina Attles -- wife of Warriors legend Al Attles and Toscano-Anderson's former teacher at Stonehurst Elementary School -- got him involved with the Warriors' youth program. [5] He intended to return to Newark and coach at his local junior high school when he was drafted by the Warriors. It's another experience I share in common with him, often being told I acted or sounded "too white" to be Black. His career was built on maximizing his ability and working to become efficient in areas he wasnt comfortable. Coming up in the part of the town that I came up in, it almost feels like youre in that book, Where the Wild Things Are, Toscano-Anderson said. Klay Thompson subscribes. Tahoe snow: Massive blizzard wreaks havoc on the Sierra, burying Another winter storm? Although celebrities such as Wilt Chamberlain, Jesse Jackson, and Bill Cosby were friends of his, he never took on celebrity airs. Attles, 36, whose father starred for the Golden State Warriors and is now an executive with the team, is getting ready to release his first feature film.. A film set in Oakland. To what Attles wore on the Oakland Rebels head coach, called Patricia and told to. 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