Paul Westphal facts for kids
Westphal in 1975
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 30, 1950 Torrance, California, U.S. |
| Died | January 2, 2021 (aged 70) Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. |
| High school | Aviation (Redondo Beach, California) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | USC (1969–1972) |
| NBA Draft | 1972 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10th overall |
| Selected by the Boston Celtics | |
| Pro career | 1972–1984 |
| Coaching career | 1985–2016 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1972–1975 | Boston Celtics |
| 1975–1980 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1980–1981 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1982–1983 | New York Knicks |
| 1983–1984 | Phoenix Suns |
| As coach: | |
| 1985–1986 | Southwestern Baptist Bible |
| 1986–1988 | Grand Canyon |
| 1988–1992 | Phoenix Suns (assistant) |
| 1992–1995 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1998–2000 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 2001–2006 | Pepperdine |
| 2007–2008 | Dallas Mavericks (assistant) |
| 2009–2012 | Sacramento Kings |
| 2014–2016 | Brooklyn Nets (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As coach:
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| Career statistics | |
| Points | 12,809 (15.6 ppg) |
| Assists | 3,591 (4.4 apg) |
| Steals | 1,022 (1.3 spg) |
Paul Douglas Westphal (born November 30, 1950 – died January 2, 2021) was a famous American basketball player and head coach. He also worked as a sports commentator.
Westphal played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1972 to 1984. He was a guard and won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 1974. He also played in the NBA Finals with the Phoenix Suns in 1976. Paul Westphal was chosen as an All-Star five times. He was also named to the All-NBA First Team three times.
After his playing days, Westphal became a coach for several college teams. He also coached three NBA teams: the Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics, and Sacramento Kings. He led the Suns to the NBA Finals in 1993.
In 2019, Paul Westphal was honored by being added to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. This is a special place for the greatest basketball players and coaches.
Contents
Early Life and College Basketball
Paul Westphal was born in Torrance, California. He went to Aviation High School in Redondo Beach from 1966 to 1969. After high school, he attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. There, he played college basketball for the Trojans as a guard.
In 1971, his USC team had a great season, winning 24 games and losing only 2. This was a record for the Trojans at the time. Westphal was a team captain in 1972. During his time at USC from 1970 to 1972, he averaged 16.9 points per game. In 1972, he led the team by scoring 20.3 points per game.
Playing Career in the NBA
Starting with the Boston Celtics (1972–1975)
The Boston Celtics picked Paul Westphal as the tenth overall player in the 1972 NBA draft. He played three seasons with the Celtics. In 1974, he helped them win an NBA championship. After that, the Celtics traded Westphal to the Phoenix Suns.
Becoming a Star with the Phoenix Suns (1975–1980)
In his first year with the Suns, Westphal helped them reach their first-ever NBA Finals in 1976. They played against his old team, the Celtics. Game 5 of that series is often called "the greatest game ever played" in NBA history. Westphal made some very important plays that helped the game go into triple overtime. He even used a clever rule to get the ball back for his team in the final seconds.
Westphal was one of the top scorers in the NBA in 1977. He averaged 25.2 points per game. He also won the first-ever NBA All-Star Weekend H–O–R–S–E Competition. In the next season, he was still a top scorer, averaging 24.0 points per game.
Time with the Seattle SuperSonics (1980–1981)
In 1980, the Suns traded Westphal to the Seattle SuperSonics. He played 36 games for them in the 1980–81 season. A foot injury limited his playing time that year. After the season, he became a free agent, but he couldn't agree on a new contract with the SuperSonics.
Playing for the New York Knicks (1982–1983)
After missing most of the 1981–82 season, Westphal signed with the New York Knicks in early 1982. He was named the NBA Comeback Player of the Year in 1982–83. That season, he averaged 10 points and 5.5 assists. He also helped the Knicks make it to the playoffs.
Returning to the Phoenix Suns (1983–1984)
Westphal signed a two-year contract to return to the Phoenix Suns in 1983. However, the Suns released him in October 1984.
During his NBA career, Paul Westphal scored a total of 12,809 points. This means he averaged 15.6 points per game. He also had 3,591 assists, averaging 4.4 assists per game. He was a five-time All-Star. The Phoenix Suns retired his jersey number 44 to honor him. He is also a member of their Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor.
Coaching Career
Paul Westphal's coaching journey began in 1985 at Southwestern Baptist Bible College in Phoenix. After one successful season there, he moved to Grand Canyon University, also in Phoenix. In 1988, he led Grand Canyon to win the NAIA national championship.
In 1988, Westphal became an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns. In 1992, he became the head coach of the Suns. In his first season as head coach, he led the Suns to the 1993 NBA Finals. They had star players like Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson. However, they lost to the Chicago Bulls in six games. The Suns made the playoffs every year Westphal was their coach. He was later fired during the 1995–96 season.
After coaching a high school team for two years, Westphal returned to the NBA. He coached the Seattle SuperSonics starting in 1998. He coached there until he was fired early in the 2000–01 season.
In 2001, Westphal went back to college coaching at Pepperdine University. In his first year, his team, the Waves, had a great record of 22 wins and 9 losses. They tied for the WCC title and made it to the NCAA tournament. However, they lost in the first round. He coached Pepperdine for five years, finishing with a total record of 74 wins and 72 losses.
In 2007, Westphal became an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks. Later, in 2009, he was named the head coach of the Sacramento Kings. He coached the Kings until he was fired in January 2012. For the 2014–15 season, Westphal worked as an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets. He left the team in January 2016.
Broadcasting Career
Paul Westphal also worked as a sports analyst for television. He analyzed games for the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers on Fox Sports Net West/Prime Ticket. He started this role during the Clippers' playoff run in 2006.
Personal Life
Paul Westphal was married to Cindy Westphal. They had two children together. He was a Christian. In August 2020, it was reported that he had been diagnosed with brain cancer. He passed away from the illness in Scottsdale, Arizona, on January 2, 2021, at the age of 70.
Images for kids
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Westphal in 1975
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Westphal with USC
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Westphal in 2014.
See also
In Spanish: Paul Westphal para niños
