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. 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. 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. Riordan was looking to give his team a spark, or worse yet trying to get Barry thrown out of the game for retaliating. 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. Attles joined the then-Philadelphia Warriors in 1960. 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. I wanted to be a guy who establishes himself in this league and is not just here for preseason or a 10-day or a call-up. I hit all my spots.. 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. Juan Toscano-Andersons uncle Macario Toscano Jr. (center left) takes a photo with family members outside Toscano-Andersons childhood home in Oakland. 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. He is a graduate of Weequahic High School in Newark, New Jersey and North Carolina A&T State University. He rushed from his interview and was soon nose -to-nose with the policeman. Like, let's do it, as opposed to just beating up on the kids at school and in my class all the time. That yellow, single-story house with a lime tree in the front yard has long been a family haven. "I can't envision anyone playing better than Barry is right now," says Warrior Coach Al Attles, whose surprising club leads the Pacific Division despite the loss over the past six months of Nate Thurmond, Clyde Lee, Jim Barnett, Joe Ellis and Cazzie Russell through trades, release or the kind of front-office ineptitude that once made the . He needed an outlet.. I had this feeling that something bad was going to happen.. Leave all that. You can also get notified of new episodes on iTunes, Google Play Music, Spotify, Stitcher and SoundCloud. He was born in Newark, New Jersey. 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. 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. After being scouted and recruited, he wound up playing at Marquette University where his injuries cost him playing time through his four years. That message is easier to tell someone than it is to actually have the words stick. 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. When Attles arranged for him to attend the Warriors youth basketball camp for free, she didnt imagine that it would start a hardwood odyssey that would culminate in a roster spot on his hometown NBA team. At that time, the only NBA player he knew about was Allen Iverson.". The lone constant during a journey that included stops in Mexico and Santa Cruz was his unparalleled effort. The bigger picture to my father was always his family, and the Warriors had become his family. 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. You hardly feel out of place. His steaks were tender, his gumbo was excellent, and his breakfasts were legendary. 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. Ive talked to the late Maurice Lucas, Lenny Wilkens, Oscar Robertson and countless other players from his era. She named him Juan. 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. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. One day, my mother came home from a full day to find my father napping. Around this time, a student in Juans third-grade class at Stonehurst Elementary School in East Oakland threatened to stab him. 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. Golden State Warriors | Last season, the Warriors hosted Al Attles night during a regular-season game by playing a tribute video and handing out On Friday against Washington, players wore shooting shirts featuring Attles' likeness. 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. In the decade since Toscano-Anderson got that tattoo as a junior at Castro Valley, he had reasons to believe he might not be so special. He impressed enough that he remained with the team up through the Dubs preseason games, being amongst the first players to grace the courts at Chase Center. After a long, winding, and non-traditional route, Juan Toscano-Anderson played his first minutes on the NBA hardwood in regular season action. His toughness stemmed from loyalty.Related Articles At one point, the doctor thought they might not be able to save either one of us. Every time he walked into that building, he got a taste of what he wanted his future to be. Attles was the 39th overall pick in the 1960 NBA Draft. Attles's team tried to repeat the following season, but they lost to the Phoenix Suns in the Conference Finals in seven games. Attles and his wife, Wilhelmina, reside in Oakland and have two adult children, Alvin III and Erica. Aug 15, 2022. "But, with all that being said, I feel like I have done myself a disservice by trying to make people happy. He was named player-coach of the Warriors midway through the 196970 season, succeeding George Lee. Attles has been on the Warriors' payroll in one capacity or another for 62 years, the longest uninterrupted streak of any person for one team. "I'm sure there were some more opportunities out there for me, but this is home for me. Sign up for a free trial of Mark Medinas Warriors text messaging service* * *, I would go over and sit with him. I just love to compete," Toscano-Andersonsaid. police arrest 2 teens suspected in brutal attack near Dolores Park, a hero of sorts to Mexicans and Mexican Americans. The court was renamed as Al Attles Court. Toscano-Anderson grew up in a similar situation, only with his Mexican roots. My fathers nickname was The Destroyer, because of his willingness to finish a fight. 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. It was during the early October matchups that Toscano-Anderson made another nod to his upbringing as he changed his jersey number to 95. But after he came home from practice earlier that day complaining of knee pain, Patricia had given him Tylenol with Codeine. All she wanted was to keep him smiling. Santa Cruz play-by-play announcer Kevin Dana noticed what he brought to the team early-on. He played college basketball at North Carolina A&T, and was selected 39th overall in the 1960 NBA draft. She also helped him get on the Oakland Rebels' AAU basketball team. None of this wouldve been possible without your love and support at a very difficult time in our lives, Patricia wrote. Al's moment came at the height of the "Blaxploitation" period in American cinema when as a boy, his father took him to see Michael Schultz "Car Wash" and Sidney . I am excited to be in Springfield. Juan Toscano-Anderson disputes fouling Jimmy Butler during a February game against the Heat at Chase Center. OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Hall of Famer Al Attles returned to Oracle Arena at long last. He remembers me.. While youre asleep, there is someone on the other side of the world trying to figure out a way to steal your ideas and take your money.. Tough. 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). There is a probably apocryphal story to the effect that one of the sportswriters covering the game began his filing with the lede "HERSHEY, Pa. Wilt Chamberlain and Al Attles combined for 117 points last night as the Philadelphia Warriors defeated the New York Knicks 169147." Everybody makes a mistake. Credit: But eventually, they did. 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. Toscano-Andersons play at Santa Cruz was so strong in the 2018-19 season, the Warriors wanted to see more. Dont EVER touch my son. Al Attles is best known as a Basketball Player. Before Fame So much so, Toscano-Anderson went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft, and not for any lack of talent, but by his own admission he did not even submit his name for the draft. 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. 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. Klay Thompson subscribes. 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. She and Kansas City . Tuesday, February 12, 2013. . Courtesy of Juan Toscano-Anderson's family. As a kid, Toscano-Anderson lived in five houses scattered across East Oakland. At the end of the day, I accept that I am in a different category of my own. Al Attles, who played with and coached Barry and is now a vice president in the organization, also has little to say. Several teams came looking to throw big money at him, hoping they would lure him away with more than Mr. Meuli could offer. It's also in Mexico. I'm just Juan, the biracial guy. In addition to becoming a hero of sorts to Mexicans and Mexican Americans for being the only active NBA player of Mexican descent, Toscano-Anderson has become an icon to Oaklanders, many of them still upset that the Warriors left their home of 47 years for San Francisco. Collect, curate and comment on your files. In 1991, Oakland suffered a devastating Hills fire. It never happened because The Destroyer rushed to Barrys defense, leisure suit and all. The voice of the iconic Bill King rang out. Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? He was one of the first African-American head coaches in the NBA. I greatly anticipate my father becoming immortalized. I am starting to accept that and who I am. Attles worked with the PTA to raise money to replace all the stolen gifts. Its nice they are recognizing someone who has been committed to the game of basketball.. My dad never looked for trouble, but he would fight for his family. Al Attles with Ben Trefny The Warriors just won their fourth NBA title in eight years - we hear from the man who coached them to their first title here back in 1975, former Warriors head coach Al Attles. (Staff Archives), Oakland, CA Circa 1980 - Al Attles on the sidelines of a Golden State Warriors Basktball game. It was very structured. 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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