My mother, Wilhelmina, worked full time as a schoolteacher (almost forty years). As the years passed, Attles often wondered what had become of the meek boy with the cornrows and the Larry Hughes jersey. We were just so hurt, the staff and I, that a kid would be exposed to that, Attles said. 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. 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. [8] On February 7, 2015, Attles's number 22 was retired by North Carolina A&T, the first ever retired by the team. That's what kind of jump started me playing basketball. 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. Tough. I had this feeling that something bad was going to happen.. I just want to contribute to my teams success, he said. But he committed himself, learned and he became great. And most famously, so did Mike Riordan of the Washington Bullets. (Staff Archives), Al Attles, former Golden State Warriors player and head coach, seen during an interview in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011. In our Oakland home, thousands of miles away from my fathers ultimate coaching triumph, I hugged my little sister, Ericka and did a happy dance with my mother. It never happened because The Destroyer rushed to Barrys defense, leisure suit and all. Attles coached the Warriors until 1983, compiling a 557518 regular-season record (588548 including playoffs) with six playoff appearances in 14 seasons. "He just brings that energy and juice to every moment that he comes into the game. 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. 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. I dont care if he doesnt remember everything. Around this time, a student in Juans third-grade class at Stonehurst Elementary School in East Oakland threatened to stab him. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Denver just got a direct flight to this Caribbean island known for music history and vegetarian cooking, NYC Mayor Adams dismisses need to separate church and state, declares himself a servant of God, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Coach Steve Kerr rocked a retro-style suit in Attles' honor, sighing and saying after the game, "Polyester, 100 percent polyester. Bay Area gets a break from winter storm. He poured his heart, body and soul into it., WARRIORS HQ PODCAST: Be sure to visit our podcast page at mercurynews.com. Work to make people respect you, even if you cant do something for them.. Kerr wore a 1970s style suit similar to what Attles wore on the sideline. Tahoe snow: Massive blizzard wreaks havoc on the Sierra, burying Another winter storm? "I was enjoying basketball, and that's what I do this for, to just enjoy the game," Toscano-Anderson said. Mrs. Attles told her not to worry about it. 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. He listened to rap music and spent most of his time in "the hood.". Attles, barely 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, came to be known as The Destroyer. Point guard who starred for the Philadelphia/Golden State Warriors from 1960-1971, and coached the team from 1970-1983. (By Howard Erker / Oakland Tribune), Oakland, CA February 8, 1981 - Golden State Warriors basketball coach Al Attles. "I feel like this situation is just destined," he said. After questioning his abilities, it is only fitting that Oakland native Toscano-Anderson found his way into the NBA by coming back to the Bay Area. Juan Toscano-Anderson loves letting people know where hes from, down to the block. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. pizza favorite shuts down after 13 years, plus more Bay Area S.F. Originally, we thought this piece was going to speak to his victories, his winning percentage, his accolades, and his achievements with the Warriors. That's when fate intervened. He loved it. 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. A Warriors Outsiders segment was detailing Toscano-Andersons rise with Golden State. 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. I look forward to meeting so many idols from my youth. Is Californias drought finally over? Seventeen days after her due date, Patricia went into labor. I ran and collected all the family photo albums and put them in my car. (By Howard Erker / Oakland Tribune), Former Golden State Warriors player and coach Alvin Attles and his wife Wilhelmina wave to fans along Broadway during the team's NBA championship victory parade in downtown Oakland, Calif., on Friday, June 19, 2015. 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. That's the first step, I've gotten through the first step to put myself in a situation to be here for another year, so now I'm working to continue and have longevity in this league.". Instead, Attles became a world champion as an NBA coach. Steph Curry takes encouraging step in lead-up to return, though timetable still unknown. (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. Toscano-Anderson still plays with that same mindset in the NBA. Family photos from Juan Toscano-Andersons youth. As a player, coach and ambassador, however, Attles impressed the Warriors more with his substance over flash. 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. Follow Bay Area News Group Warriors beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. It's never an easy critique to hear. Toscano-Andersons performance at the 2015 FIBA Americas championship was enough to land him a contract from Mexicos top league. Her doctor told her she was having a girl. Now Toscano-Anderson is poised to become the first Oakland-born player since the early 1970s to stick on the Warriors roster for three straight seasons. But just three months after Patricia moved in, the house she was renting burned down in an electrical fire in the middle of the night while Juan and Ariana were at a slumber party. Even though I know what the situation is, it doesnt matter, said former Warriors forward Clifford Ray. Now on that standard contract, Juan is ready to prove that decision was the right one. Almost all their belongings, including many of the kids childhood photos, were destroyed. Alvin Attles, Actor: Inside Moves. The time he saw a homeless man beat another homeless man with an aluminum bat on 95th Avenue. I still remember that camp like it was last week Warriors Camp meant a lot. Macario had bought the house in 1970 after moving to Oakland, where a couple of his sisters had settled, from the Mexican state of Michoacan. 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. Once he slipped up. 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. You don't have to look deep to figure out why the Warriors decided to convert Toscano-Anderson's two-way contract to a standard one. He honed his skills at Oakland rec centers and the Boys & Girls Club. Although celebrities such as Wilt Chamberlain, Jesse Jackson, and Bill Cosby were friends of his, he never took on celebrity airs. Sign me up! In 29 games, Juan Toscano-Anderson has averaged 5.0 points on 52.8% shooting, 4.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists for the Warriors. She noticed that he seemed to be happiest when he was playing basketball in the schoolyard. I am versatile. That yellow, single-story house with a lime tree in the front yard has long been a family haven. After 3 hours of labor, Patricia gave birth to a 9-pound, 12-ounce baby. 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. 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. I think it's the best of both worlds.". My mom suggested I gather all of my fathers trophies and momentoes, so I grabbed as many as I could and began rushing back and forth to the car. 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. Al Attles is a Warriors icon, but his wife, Wilhelmina, has been his rock for more than half a century. Sure, he made up those scenarios in his head but didn't think they'd become reality. But The Town isn't Toscano-Anderson's only home. After a long, winding, and non-traditional route, Juan Toscano-Anderson played his first minutes on the NBA hardwood in regular season action. We will forever be grateful.. "And I always tried to embed that in them in it, and let them know that it didn't make them any less.". Furthermore, in 2018, Toscano-Anderson joined the G-League with the Santa Cruz Warriors, where he played for the club for two seasons. But his desire to play basketball continued, which led him to play in Mexico for four seasons and play for the Mexican national basketball team. Before Letourneau joined The Chronicle, he covered the Oregon State Beavers for The Oregonian. Get the family photo albums.. To make the Santa Cruz Warriors 2018-19 roster, Toscano-Anderson needed some good fortune a timely preseason trade that freed up a contract for him. bobbleheads of his likeness. Toscano-Anderson didn't receive interest from any NBA teams coming out of college. Steph Curry could return during Warriors next road trip, per reports The path from Warriors Basketball Camp to the NBA for Toscano-Anderson was far from seamless. The lone constant during a journey that included stops in Mexico and Santa Cruz was his unparalleled effort. There was a sadness in his eyes. Just make sure he gets there," Patricia recalls Mrs. Attles saying. He believed he owed the franchise that believed so much in him. My father was being interviewed some 20 feet away and saw the guard grab me. Really? I just love to compete," Toscano-Andersonsaid. The Bay Area will catch a break from winter storms for a couple days, but it wont last very long. Juan Toscano-Anderson with his family as he graduates from Castro Valley High School. ", 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. Stephen Curry has not only led a Warriors resurgence since entering the league, he has changed the game with his long-distance shooting. Toscano-Anderson has faced racism from both Mexicans and African Americans, telling him he wasn't enough of either to consider himself a Mexican man or a Black man. But when Toscano-Anderson first arrived at Mrs. Attles classroom in cornrows and a Larry Hughes replica Warriors jersey, he was an 8-year-old from the urban flatlands of East Oakland in a room filled with children from the more affluent Oakland hills. Toward the bottom of the cup was a familiar name in green marker: Juan Toscano-Anderson, now a 6-foot-6, 213-pound backup forward for the Golden State Warriors who has become a fan favorite. When he was 7, his mom saved enough money to relocate to Castro Valley, a suburb free of many of her old neighborhoods hardships. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! 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. (Ron Riesterer / Oakland Tribune Staff Archives), Oakland, CA February 13, 1976 - Golden State Warriors basketball coach Al Attles at a press conference. After the Warriors went 48-34 in the 1974-75 season, Attles coached the Warriors to their first NBA championship in 1975 by upsetting the Washington Bullets in a four-game Finals sweep. Im all about winning. He also paved the way for more racial equality within the NBA coaching profession. Some nights, he slept with his mom, Patricia Toscano, and sister, Ariana, in their silver sedan. But as a child, it's even harder. He played college basketball at North Carolina A&T, and was selected 39th overall in the . By the time Juan was 14, Patricias goal for him was clear: college somewhere, anywhere and a life away from Oakland. My fathers nickname was The Destroyer, because of his willingness to finish a fight. His toughness stemmed from loyalty.Related Articles Sign up for a free trial of Mark Medinas Warriors text messaging service* * *, I would go over and sit with him. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. What are the similarities between money and potential? Hes been in and out of the hospital in the last few recent months, Ridder said. 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