But The Town isn't Toscano-Anderson's only home. Attles's team tried to repeat the following season, but they lost to the Phoenix Suns in the Conference Finals in seven games. It never happened because The Destroyer rushed to Barrys defense, leisure suit and all. Heres why California has seen so much active weather. His work has been honored by APSE, CNPA and the Professional Basketball Writers Association. The Warriors were longshots to beat the Washington Bullets. So needless to say, basketball and the Bay Area are big parts of his life. Click here if you are unable to view this gallery on a mobile device. "Like, wow, I get to beat all of these kids? Hes had a fighting spirit since the moment he came into the world, Patricia said. 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. He remembers me.. I hit all my spots.. Toscano-Anderson could have been among them. It was quite the homecoming. Keen members of Dub Nation likely saw a lot of Toscano-Anderson while they watched this past NBA Summer League as he played on both of the Dubs summer squads in the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League. The immense pride Toscano-Anderson has for his hometown is a common trait found in most Oaklanders, including myself. 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. A film he wrote . A large part of that was because it was a space for him to let out his competitive juices -- which he's had since birth. I hated to hear it then, but I grew to understand, my father was extolling the value of hard work. Juan Toscano-Anderson disputes fouling Jimmy Butler during a February game against the Heat at Chase Center. He was just 19. Attles was never a star in the league, yet he was an . My dad paid the boy a visit. (Ron Riesterer / Oakland Tribune Staff Archives), Oakland, CA February 13, 1976 - Golden State Warriors basketball coach Al Attles at a press conference. We will forever be grateful.. He also paved the way for more racial equality within the NBA coaching profession. He tries to impact the game the same way Green does -- by doing a bit of everything. Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? They've been here ever since. One night in July 1992, Macarios youngest son, Juan, had an argument with someone in the neighborhood. Dad got ejected, not Barry, and the Warriors completed the sweep. Patricia Toscano, mother of Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson, stands outside his childhood home in Oakland. Even his wife Wilhelmina is a tough competitor. That showed me like, oh, I got a long way to go to get better.". When he was 7, his mom saved enough money to relocate to Castro Valley, a suburb free of many of her old neighborhoods hardships. As did the policeman. Golden State Warriors | And actually, that's what I'm about to go do. But it won't last long. Nicknamed the "Destroyer",[2][3] he played the point guard position and spent his entire 11 seasons (19601971) in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the team, joining it when it was still based in Philadelphia and following it to the Bay Area in 1962. And well just smile, because thats so him. That's when fate intervened. Golden State Warriors | In 1991, Oakland suffered a devastating Hills fire. Stephen Curry has not only led a Warriors resurgence since entering the league, he has changed the game with his long-distance shooting. Patricia was a single mother of four. I dont take any of that for granted., Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. "I'm sure there were some more opportunities out there for me, but this is home for me. You can waste them both.. I am starting to accept that and who I am. "I was enjoying basketball, and that's what I do this for, to just enjoy the game," Toscano-Anderson said. 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. 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. 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,. 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 Toscano-Andersons teacher at Montclair Elementary School in Oakland. He is one of the last living members of the franchise who dates to their time in Philadelphia. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network. Coach Steve Kerr rocked a retro-style suit in Attles' honor, sighing and saying after the game, "Polyester, 100 percent polyester. Al Attles was born on November 7, 1936 in Newark, NJ. It wasn't until he was a bit older that he made a concerted effort to get more in touch with his Hispanic roots. After visiting his mom in San Leandro and getting a trim at Phat Fades Barbershop on East 14th Street, he stops by his grandpas house on 95th Avenue. Juan Toscano-Anderson loves letting people know where hes from, down to the block. "Juan didn't know either. Toscano-Anderson grew up in a similar situation, only with his Mexican roots. Oakland is home to Juan Toscano-Anderson. Once I leave Chase Center, I can drive across that bridge and go straight home and celebrate all of this with my family. Either before the game or a during a timeout, they walk toward the concourse atop the lower bowl. The time he saw a homeless man beat another homeless man with an aluminum bat on 95th Avenue. I know I am Mexican. "Enjoy this journey that basketball and life have taken me on. Al Attles, who played with and coached Barry and is now a vice president in the organization, also has little to say. Point guard who starred for the Philadelphia/Golden State Warriors from 1960-1971, and coached the team from 1970-1983. None of this wouldve been possible without your love and support at a very difficult time in our lives, Patricia wrote. Fell in love with it, said Toscano-Anderson. It's never an easy critique to hear. ", Earlier in his life, it was easier for Toscano-Anderson to identity as Black because of his surroundings. As Toscano-Anderson said, money has never been the driving factor for him. pizza favorite shuts down after 13 years, plus more Bay Area S.F. With Ray likening Attles on-court intensity to a combination of Dennis Rodman or Russell Westbrook, the Warriors leaned on Attles to make hustle plays and knock out his opponents. . He was previously the Warriors beat reporter (2016-2021) and the Cal beat reporter (2015-16). You hardly feel out of place. He joined the Oakland Rebels AAU team (now known as Team Lillard), and played for Castro Valley High School. (Oakland Tribune Photo), Former player, coach, player/coach and the last coach to last Warriors' coach to win a championship Al Attles has a word with the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) following their victory over the Houston Rockets in Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference finals at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, May 27, 2015. 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. You know, just really taking on the competitive challenge that was needed.". The Bay Area is catching a break from winter storms. Aug 15, 2022. 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. He performed so well that it prompted a last-minute trade of six-year NBA veteran Terrence Jones in order to make a roster spot for Toscano-Anderson. There were times people told Toscano-Anderson he made the wrong decision by going to the G League. Even when he was not at his healthiest, Attles still attended Warriors home games in recent seasons. Teacher and student lost touch, however, when he moved on to Montera Middle School. "But, with all that being said, I feel like I have done myself a disservice by trying to make people happy. During the first few months in his new town, he took care of his two younger siblings while his mom worked as the director of Catholic Charities violence prevention program. In Game 4 of the 1975 Finals, Riordan walked up to Rick Barry and shoved the Warriors star. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? 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. Jersey No. He thanked Attles again Thursday, noting, "She just changed my life." 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. Credit: Almost every off day the Warriors get, Toscano-Anderson guides his Honda east on Interstate 580, toward the streets where he learned the power of perseverance. He was named player-coach of the Warriors midway through the 196970 season, succeeding George Lee. That encouragement set Toscano-Anderson on a path that has eventually led with the versatile forward finding a home with his childhood team, as this past May he signed a multi-year contract with the Warriors. My dad and my sister were my only regular exposure to other Black people. Attles, barely 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, came to be known as The Destroyer. (Ray Chavez/Staff Archives). He was born in Newark, New Jersey. Retired teacher Wilhelmina Attles was cleaning her kitchen last month when she came across a coffee mug adorned with signatures from one of her old third-grade classes at Montclair Elementary School. Attles was replaced by Johnny Bach for the last 21 games of the 197980 NBA season (a season in which the Warriors finished tied for last place), though he returned for the next season (Bach would become Attles's permanent successor after 1983). Attles worked with the PTA to raise money to replace all the stolen gifts. Juan Toscano-Andersons uncle Macario Toscano Jr. (center left) takes a photo with family members outside Toscano-Andersons childhood home in Oakland. After finishing fifth on the Warriors all-time games played list (711), he transitioned into coaching the organization. Heck, he wears it on his chest and back every time he puts on his Golden State Warriors jersey. Ive always been a Warriors fan. I'm super proud of that.". He listened to rap music and spent most of his time in "the hood.". Using her sisters address, Patricia transferred Juan to Montclair only a 15-minute drive from Elmhurst, but a world away in some respects. I paint the city, man, Toscano-Anderson said. Last season, the Warriors hosted Al Attles night during a regular-season game by playing a tribute video and handing out Do you understand me? he barked at the trembling guard, who apologized and slunk away. I ran and collected all the family photo albums and put them in my car. Steve (Kerr) has never made me feel like I was on a two-way. (1999) and Black Magic (2008). That was my first basketball camp, its propelled me to where I am today.. Alvin Attles was born on November 7, 1936 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. Even then, he knew that suburbia didnt suit him. All my life, my family and I have seen a Hall of Fame man. He took over as player-coach for the last season of his career, and remained as head coach until 1983 (save for 21 games in 1980). He also serves as a team ambassador. . Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. His #16 is retired by the Warriors, and even in his 70s he attended every home Warriors game. It was not only a momentous occasion in his basketball career, but a culmination of events that are almost hard to believe. My father is as humble as they come. "And at the end of the day, when it's all said and done, even if I fail, I can always look myself in the mirror and say I did it Juan's way. To a man, they all said my father was not a man you wanted to cross. Encouraged by her reaction, my father soon became the primary cook in our family. [7] He was a role player on the 1964 Warriors team (with Wilt Chamberlain and Guy Rodgers) that made the NBA Finals and eventually lost the championship series to the Boston Celtics, four games to one. Even though I know what the situation is, it doesnt matter, said former Warriors forward Clifford Ray. In other words, Toscano-Anderson made his NBA debut for a team that has been a continual thread throughout his life. Alvin, my father yelled, stopping me in my tracks. He walks a little crookedly, and he struggles with his memory sometimes. I thought he changed the game the other night in the second quarter with his emotion. Its a reflection of Toscano-Andersons upbringing in East Oakland, the most dangerous area of a city with 30 homicides already in 2021. The family has always felt that my fathers basketball contributions have been Hall Of Fame worthy. I am done trying to show people that I am Black and I am Mexican. 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. Toscano-Anderson was introduced to basketball in the third grade at Oakland's Stonehurst Elementary School by his then-teacher Wilhelmina Attles, who is a former Upsala College basketball star and also the wife of Warriors legend and Hall of Famer Al Attles. "She never mentioned Mr. Attles was her husband, and I mean, I knew [who] the Warriors were, but I didn't know any of that," Patricia said. Attles and his wife, Wilhelmina, reside in Oakland and have two adult children, Alvin III and Erica. My father was being interviewed some 20 feet away and saw the guard grab me. Patricia Toscano, who grew up in a neighborhood known to locals as the killing zone, often worried that her four kids were destined to become grim statistics. The team that selected him was the then Philadelphia Warriors. I was 10 years old or so and ran around playing tag in the locker room with my cousins Bernard and Kevin. When he is not watching the game, Attles is catching up with a former Warriors teammate or fan. He plans on starting with getting his brother a car for his 16th birthday. He loved it. 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 Juan often was late to school -- not because of rebellion, but because his motherwas spread thin -- and during class, he wasn't fully present. 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. For the rest of the school year, she made herself available to Juan anytime he needed her. Attles joined the then-Philadelphia Warriors in 1960. Im just ecstatic that hes one of the positive ones. 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. But there were complications. [9] He was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. My mom explained that her day was exhausting, and she was tired. He thanked Attles again Thursday . He played overseas, joining the Mexican national basketball team in 2016 at the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, and then in Mexico and Venezuela from 2016 to 2018. Through the rest of elementary and middle school, Juan split time between his grandpas home and those of his AAU coaches in Oakland, not moving to Castro Valley full-time until the summer before his freshman year of high school. Mrs. Attles told her not to worry about it. Even now, 42 games into his NBA career, Toscano-Anderson still finds it hard to believe hes on the Warriors. [5] He intended to return to Newark and coach at his local junior high school when he was drafted by the Warriors. Then, one day in spring 2015, Attles received a small package containing a program from the Marquette University mens basketball program and a letter. I knew who I was. She was aware of the strugglesthe Toscano family was facing and wanted to help, so she suggested Toscano-Andersonenrollin the Golden State Warriors youth camp. 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