NBA player and trainer Paul Westphal dies at 70

NBA player and trainer Paul Westphal dies at 70

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Westphal died after a battle with brain cancer, according to the USC, where he played from 1969 to 1972. He left his wife Cindy, two children and grandchildren.

Westphal was chosen by the Boston Celtics as the tenth choice in the 1972 NBA draft, according to the USC. He won an NBA title with the Celtics in 1974.

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

After his playing career, Westphal joined as a coach, starting at several small colleges. His team at Grand Canyon College in 1988 won the NAIA national championship. He then moved to the NBA as an assistant coach for the Suns.

He spent 10 seasons as head coach of three different NBA teams, including the Suns – who coached until the 1993 NBA finals – the SuperSonics and the Sacramento Kings.

Westphal was included in the college’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Basketball Hall of Fame at the Naismith Memorial in 2019.

“His toughness, skill and intellect made him a key contributor to the 1974 Boston Celtics champion team and a perennial All-Star with the Phoenix Suns,” said Silver.

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

CNN’s Dakin Andone contributed to this report.

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