NBA player and coach Paul Westphal dies at age 70

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Westphal died after a battle with brain cancer, according to USC, where he played from 1969 to 1972. His wife Cindy, two children and grandchildren, survived her.

Westphal was drafted by the Boston Celtics as the tenth pick in the 1972 NBA Draft, according to USC. He won an NBA title with the Celtics in 1974.

Throughout his 12-year career in the NBA, also played for the 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 named by five consecutive All-Star teams between the 1976-77 and 1980-81 seasons.
Playing for the Boston Celtics, Paul Westphal fired at the Washington Bullets in 1975.

After his career as a player, Westphal went on to coach, starting with several small colleges. His 1988 Grand Canyon College team won the NAIA National Championship. He then moved to the NBA as an assistant coach with the Suns.

He spent ten seasons as head coach of three different NBA teams, including the Suns (who 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 intellect made him a key contributor to the 1974 Boston Celtics championship team and a perennial All-Star with the Phoenix Suns,” Silver said.

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

CNN’s Dakin Andone contributed to this report.

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