Paul Westphal won an NBA title as a player for the Celtics in 1974 and an NAIA championship as coach of the Grand Canyon Antelopes in 1988. But he will be forever known for what he did with the Suns.
It was in Phoenix that Westphal helped the Suns reach their first NBA Finals in 1976, then was a three-time first team All-NBA guard, over the next four seasons, as well as winning the first All-Star HORSE contest in 1978.
A college All-American at USC, Westphal’s pro career also included stops with the SuperSonics and Knicks. After retiring as a player, Westphal started coaching at Southwestern Baptist Bible College, then went to Grand Canyon before returning to the Suns as an assistant and eventually their head coach, winning the 1993 Western Conference title.
Westphal also coached the SuperSonics and Kings, as well as Pepperdine University and stints as an assistant with the Mavericks and, from 2014-16, the Nets. Westphal was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.
Diagnosed with brain cancer in August 2020, Westphal died on January 2. He was 70.
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