NBA Hall Of Famer Paul Westphal Has Reportedly Passed Away
Matt Hladik
Paul Westphal speaks at his Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
NBA legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Paul Westphal has passed away at the age of 70 after a battle with brain cancer, according to multiple reports.
Westphal, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019, was a first-round pick of the Boston Celtics out of USC in 1972. He went on to win a championship with the franchise in 1974.
Westphal would move on to play for the Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics and New York Knicks before retiring in 1984. During that time, he made five consecutive All-Star appearances from 1977-81 and and All-NBA first-team selection three times.
Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated 1/2/21
Basketball legend Paul Westphal received tributes online after dying Saturday at the age of 70 due to brain cancer.
Westphal was an All-Star player and NBA champion during his playing career, and he was also a highly successful head coach. He played from 1972 to 1984 and won a title with the Boston Celtics in 1974. Westphal also played for the Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics and New York Knicks.
As a coach, Westphal began his career at Southwestern Baptist Bible College, then moved to Grand Canyon University, and he became an assistant with the Phoenix Suns. Westphal took over as head coach of the Suns in 1992 and led them to the NBA Finals in his first season. He also had stints coaching Seattle and Sacramento, in addition to Pepperdine in college.