Paul Westphal, NBA player and coach, dies at 70

Paul Westphal, NBA player and coach, dies at 70

by

According to USC, Westphal died after a battle with brain cancer, where he played from 1969 to 1972. He is survived by his wife Cindy, two children and grandchildren.

Westphal was drafted by the Boston Celtics as the 10th pick of the NBA draft in 1972. According to USC, he won an NBA title with the Celtics in 1974.

In the course of his 12-year career in the NBA, he also played for the Phoenix Suns, the Seattle SuperSonics and the New York Knicks. In each of his five years at the Suns, Westphal averaged at least 20 points per game. He was named in the 1976-77 and 1980-81 seasons in five consecutive All-Star teams.
Paul Westphal, who played for the Boston Celtics, hit the Washington Bullets in 1975.

After his playing career, Westphal started coaching, at several small colleges. His 1988 Grand Canyon College team won the NAIA National Championship. After that, he moved to the NBA as an assistant coach at the Suns.

He has spent ten seasons as head coach for three different NBA teams, including the Suns – who he coached in the 1993 NBA Finals – the SuperSonics and the Sacramento Kings.

Westphal was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.

“His toughness, skill and mind made him a major contributor to the Boston Celtics’ 1974 championship team and a multi-year All-Star with the Phoenix Suns,” Silver said.

“He will be remembered for his generosity, leadership and love of the game, which determined his years in the NBA,” Silver added. “We express our sincere condolences to Paul’s wife, Cindy, and their family.”

CNN’s Dakin Andone contributed to this report.

.Source