In an effort to recognize the meaningful impact Mrs. Attles had on his life, Toscano-Anderson surprised his former teacher at her home with a framed, autographed jersey. "I was enjoying basketball, and that's what I do this for, to just enjoy the game," Toscano-Anderson said. The Hall of Fame honor comes 59 years after Alvin Austin Attles, Jr. was drafted in the fifth round by the Philadelphia Warriors out of North Carolina A&T. He will turn 83 in November. Alvin Attles was born on November 7, 1936 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. 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. Heres when rain, snow will return. He believed he owed the franchise that believed so much in him. Golden State Warriors | Many in the Elmhurst neighborhood know that, if they need a place to stay while they get their lives back on track, Toscano-Anderson and his mom will try to help provide accommodations. To a man, they all said my father was not a man you wanted to cross. Attles coached the Warriors until 1983, compiling a 557518 regular-season record (588548 including playoffs) with six playoff appearances in 14 seasons. Playing in Santa Cruz was really cool also being back home, that was really cool, said Toscano-Anderson. Attles's team tried to repeat the following season, but they lost to the Phoenix Suns in the Conference Finals in seven games. [10], Attles at the Golden State Warriors Victory Parade on June 19, 2015, the night Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, "Al Attles, Hubie Brown recipients of 2017 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award", "50 years on, reluctant Warrior al Attles is the team's mainstay", "Al Attles, a Warrior for Life, is a Bridge to a Lone Bay Area Title", "North Carolina A&T to Retire Alvin Attles' Number", "On the occasion of his father's induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, a son pays tribute", Basketball-Reference.com: Al Attles (as coach), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Al_Attles&oldid=1138383068, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 9 February 2023, at 10:58. A native of Oakland, Toscano-Anderson is uniquely tied to the Golden State Warriors. My mother, Wilhelmina, worked full time as a schoolteacher (almost forty years). Patricia was a single mother of four. It was the same at home. Kerr wore a 1970s style suit similar to what Attles wore on the sideline. My father is as humble as they come. They've given me an idea of where I wanted to be in my life and what I wanted to do.". OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Hall of Famer Al Attles returned to Oracle Arena at long last. His top choice was Cal in nearby Berkeley, but his mother, desperate for him to get as far away from East Oaklands streets as possible, persuaded him to pick the Wisconsin school. I am excited to be in Springfield. A life-changing signature," Toscano-Anderson said in a Zoom press conference Thursday evening. But there were complications. 95 jersey, the highest number in Warriors history, is a nod to his grandfathers home at 95th Avenue and A Street in East Oaklands Elmhurst neighborhood. Shenoticed that heseemed to be happiest when he was playing basketball in the schoolyard. He thanked Attles again Thursday, noting, "She just changed my life." It's a city made up of an incredibly diverse population, making those of us who tend to fall in minority races or are biracial feel more at peace. Juan went home and declared to his family he was giving up soccer. Mrs. Attles, as Toscano-Anderson called her, encouraged the young boy to join the Warriors' youth basketball program, and also helped him get on the Oakland Rebels AAU basketball team. I knew theyd knock him right out, Patricia said. My mother fielded many of the phone calls from other NBA teams executives, and watched the offers come in. It also unlocked his passion for basketball. He played college basketball at North Carolina A&T, and was selected 39th overall in the 1960 NBA draft. "I can get in where I fit in in the hood, and I can go to a quinceaeraand speak Spanish. I knew my family was Mexican. My fathers nickname was The Destroyer, because of his willingness to finish a fight. Patricia Toscano, mother of Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson, stands outside his childhood home in Oakland. 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. (Jane Tyska/Staff Archives), Former Golden State Warriors head coach Al Attles attends a press conference to introduce the team's new draft picks at the team's headquarters in Oakland, Calif., Monday, June 27, 2011. Really? The Warriors were longshots to beat the Washington Bullets. The team that selected him was the then Philadelphia Warriors. I grew up around [an] all Mexican family. Juan Toscano-Anderson, even as a child, always appreciated his mother, Patricia, raising him in a single-parent home. I wont detail the rest, because I am not sure if my father is still protected under the statute of limitations. He walks a little crookedly, and he struggles with his memory sometimes. "Juan didn't know either. Doing these things for his family, and simply the time he gets to spend with them, are the biggest things Toscano-Anderson had to sacrifice when he went and played overseas. I look forward to meeting so many idols from my youth. Thompson: Known for his toughness, Warriors legend Al Attles' strength comes from his wife's love By Marcus Thompson II Apr 4, 2019 Al Attles, 82, is a champ in the kitchen. She thanked Attles for all shed done for Juan in third grade and told her that he was about to graduate from Marquette with a bachelors degree in criminology. Al Attles is best known as a Basketball Player. I heard that message on more Saturday mornings than I can recall. Toscano-Anderson would require resilience, a change in the NBAs style of play and some luck to go from a seldom-used college reserve to a rotation player with the Warriors. 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. On a typical day Rick and Pam Barry get up between 10 and noon in their house on Mercer Island outside of Seattle and begin their exercise routine: First, there's 15 minutes designed to develop the. She was aware of the struggles the Toscano family was facing and wanted to help, so she suggested Toscano-Anderson enroll in the Golden State Warriors youth camp. Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? As a teacher, you spend so much time around these kids that you know what they need at various times, said Attles, who watches every Warriors game to cheer for Toscano-Anderson. Attles, 82, has not been at Warriors games recently this season because of what team spokesman Raymond Ridder called age-related ailments. The Warriors have invited Attles to be among the Warriors luminaries to attend Sundays game against the Clippers, which will mark the final regular-season game at Oracle Arena. (Staff Archives), Al Attles, former Golden State Warriors player and head coach, seen during an interview in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011. Attles became an assistant coach in 1968, while still a player. Then, one day in spring 2015, Attles received a small package containing a program from the Marquette University mens basketball program and a letter. The court was renamed as Al Attles Court. But it won't last long. Those trophies and basketballs dont mean anything. src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. I ran into the house and asked my mom what I should rescue from the house. There was a sadness in his eyes. FamousBirthdays.com - use subject to the practices disclosed in our privacy policy. The path from Warriors Basketball Camp to the NBA for Toscano-Anderson was far from seamless. After averaging 3.8 points per game over his four-year career at Marquette, Toscano-Anderson didnt receive a single offer to play overseas, much less in the NBA. (1999) and Black Magic (2008). Youre running into all these different monsters, only theyre things like gangs and drive-by shootings.. Although his role has greatly changed, we now happily assume the role of caregivers to the man who has given so much to so many. [5] He intended to return to Newark and coach at his local junior high school when he was drafted by the Warriors. On his right shoulder, One in a Million is written in black ink. Courtesy of Juan Toscano-Anderson's family. * * *. It wasnt good, but my mom ate it like it was steak and lobster. Alvin Attles wife she was my third grade teacher and I was playing soccer prior to that put me into a Warriors Camp. Many of Juans new classmates had parents who were doctors or lawyers. Tuesday, February 12, 2013. . Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? We knew what we were doing.. His competitiveness always is on full display -- perfectly depicted in the play against the Boston Celtics that resulted in him needing 27 stitches in his head. "It's God-sent for sure. For the rest of the school year, she made herself available to Juan anytime he needed her. As a player, coach and ambassador, however, Attles impressed the Warriors more with his substance over flash. NBC Sports Bay Area celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month by taking a trip south of the border to tell the story of Juan Toscano-Anderson's Mexican heritage, his experience playing professionally in Mexico and how his Oakland roots impacted his journey to the Warriors. Teacher and student lost touch, however, when he moved on to Montera Middle School. During the teams first public event at the newly opened Chase Center he had to take the mic and perform for the fans in attendance. src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. (Dan Honda/Bay Area News Group), Golden State Warriors legend Al Attles, center, tosses the basket ball between Jenny Fang, left, and her cousin Ella Fang to start a game as part of the refurbished baskteball court ceremony at Lincoln Square Park in Oakland in 2006. I paint the city, man, Toscano-Anderson said. Friday, the basketball Hall Of Fame will confirm what weve all known all along. He listened to rap music and spent most of his time in "the hood.". A little-known story is that after winning the championship in 75, my father was a hot coaching commodity. He was born in Newark, New Jersey. Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? None of this wouldve been possible without your love and support at a very difficult time in our lives, Patricia wrote. Klay Thompson subscribes. I just love to compete," Toscano-Andersonsaid. Juan Toscano-Anderson loves letting people know where hes from, down to the block. But it didn't matter to Toscano-Anderson. [8] On February 7, 2015, Attles's number 22 was retired by North Carolina A&T, the first ever retired by the team. 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. When Al put that uniform on, he gave you everything he had, Barry said. Now that I have this opportunity to play for the Warriors what I plan to do is just be me: be a great teammate, be the hardest playing guy on the floor, whatever it takes to win. Ive always been a Warriors fan. That yellow, single-story house with a lime tree in the front yard has long been a family haven. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Con_Chron, How Juan Toscano-Anderson escaped monsters of his youth to become Oaklands Warrior, How Juan Toscano-Anderson gave himself a shot at a long-term future with Warriors, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson attend Oakland protest led by Juan Toscano-Anderson, How Curry's 3-point shooting changed the game. Five months later, one of his closest cousins, Eric Toscano, was shot and killed while celebrating his 18th birthday at his home on Ney Avenue in East Oakland. Scott Adams faces 'consequence culture' as U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert, Tom Cruise's 'ditching' of Suri showcased by Judd Apatow's 'co-parenting' joke, ex-Scientology exec says. My father was being interviewed some 20 feet away and saw the guard grab me. Oakland is no stranger to people with mixed backgrounds. But as a child, it's even harder. Outside of his family, most of the people he interacted with were Black. A mechanical engineer, he raised four kids as a single father and tried to shield them from the gang violence overtaking the surrounding streets. Though it is uncommon for NBA players to wear numbers that high, the 95 carried significant meaning for him: Toscano-Andersons grandfather emigrated to Oakland from Mexico and bought house on 95th Avenue and A Street in East Oakland. Get the family photo albums.. Ahead of the 2018-19 season, he decided to go to the open tryouts being hosted by the G League Santa Cruz Warriors. He thanked Attles again Thursday . Attles and his wife, Wilhelmina, reside in Oakland and have two adult children, Alvin III and Erica. Juan Toscano-Andersons uncle Macario Toscano Jr. (center left) takes a photo with family members outside Toscano-Andersons childhood home in Oakland. I greatly anticipate my father becoming immortalized. Attles, one of Montclairs only African American teachers, felt an immediate kinship with Juan, who is half-Black, half-Mexican. He loved it. 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. Seventeen days after her due date, Patricia went into labor. I hated to hear it then, but I grew to understand, my father was extolling the value of hard work. 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. Point guard who starred for the Philadelphia/Golden State Warriors from 1960-1971, and coached the team from 1970-1983. All my life, my family and I have seen a Hall of Fame man. What Attles didnt know then was that Toscano-Anderson was homeless. bobbleheads of his likeness. He remembers me.. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. 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. Dad got ejected, not Barry, and the Warriors completed the sweep. Even now, 42 games into his NBA career, Toscano-Anderson still finds it hard to believe hes on the Warriors. From left are Jeff Mullins, #23, and Happy Hairston, #52. Hes been with the Warriors forever. Everybody makes a mistake. (Staff Archives), Oakland, CA January 23, 1980 - Golden State Warriors basketball coach Al Attles on the sidelines. Really? When he is not watching the game, Attles is catching up with a former Warriors teammate or fan. It was undoubtedly a full circle moment for both Toscano-Anderson and Attles, whose positive influence made an everlasting impact on the future of the Warriors forward. According to police, after a 17-year-old alleged gang member tried to crash the party and was turned away by Toscanos father, he returned a half hour later and opened fire on bystanders, killing Toscano and wounding three others. She also helped him get on the Oakland Rebels' AAU basketball team. "I still did it all my way," Toscano-Anderson said. It was during the early October matchups that Toscano-Anderson made another nod to his upbringing as he changed his jersey number to 95. ", Download and subscribe to the Dubs Talk Podcast, Why JTA felt 'destined' to sign standard contract with Dubs, JTA sharesheartfelt moment with mom after contract signing. And so that was kind of humbling. I love who I am. In my case, I was raised in a predominantly white family and went to a predominantly white school. We couldnt share this moment in person with my father, because the game was played in Washington, D.C, and in 1975, teams did not fly families and friends to road games. We were just so hurt, the staff and I, that a kid would be exposed to that, Attles said. Because there is nowhere better than home, playing for the home team. But as of Thursday morning, Toscano-Anderson is an official member of the Warriors -- and stillan Oakland resident -- as he signed a standard, multiyear contract with Golden State. Patricia explained to Mrs. Attles that while she'd love for her son to be involved, but she simply didn't have the money for it. But Ridder added, his family is going to play it by ear on whether he attends. It was quite the homecoming. By the time Juan was 14, Patricias goal for him was clear: college somewhere, anywhere and a life away from Oakland. I'm from Oakland.". It never happened because The Destroyer rushed to Barrys defense, leisure suit and all. 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. They swept them. The Warriors have invited various luminaries, including Barry, Mullin, Sleepy Floyd, Marreese Speights and Jason Richardson for Sundays game against the Los Angeles Clippers, which marks the final regular-season game at Oracle Arena. His career was built on maximizing his ability and working to become efficient in areas he wasnt comfortable. Although the American team was full of G League players, Mexico came out on top. At that time, I could see that Juan loved sports. Either before the game or a during a timeout, they walk toward the concourse atop the lower bowl. Now, just knowing that hecan provide for his family and stay close to them is just the icing on the cake to signing his contract. 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We were just so hurt, the Staff and I can go to a quinceaeraand speak Spanish '':... Attles impressed the Warriors until 1983, compiling a 557518 regular-season record ( 588548 including playoffs ) with playoff...
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