NBA-Paul Westphal, Hall of Fame player turned coach, dies at 70

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

(Reuters) - Paul Westphal, a Basketball Hall of Fame guard and later a successful NBA coach, died on Saturday at the age of 70, the Phoenix Suns said, months after he was diagnosed with brain cancer.

The five-time NBA All-Star and former first-round pick won the NBA championship early in his career with the Boston Celtics in 1974, before joining the Suns in 1975. He led Phoenix to its first NBA Finals appearance a year later and averaged 20.6 points over six seasons with the team.

After his playing career, he returned to the Suns first as an assistant and later as head coach, leading the team once again to the NBA Finals in 1993, where they lost to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

"Westy will not be immortalized for just playing basketball. He will be remembered for how he lived his life, and how he treated others," the Suns said.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/nba-paul-westphal-hall-of-fame-player-turned-coach-dies-at-70/ar-BB1cqfqR?li=BB15ms5q

[dameatball]

1. Enjoyed those Celtic teams back then and never thought he would be that good. I was wrong.

[leftieNanner]

2. How Sad.

I have a funny Paul Westphal story. My husband played college basketball for one year (but his engineering studies took too much time) and he was a pretty decent player. One summer he was down in Southern California and a bunch of guys went to the gym for a pick up game. He elected to guard this one guy and even though my husband was pretty quick, that guy just kept getting past him or shooting over him.

Then he found out who it was.............

[OAITW r.2.0]

4. Great anecdotal story, LeftieNanner!

Reminds me when I almost back ended Dave Cowens on Huntington Ave in Boston in 1974. Almost put my friend's Nova SS 396 in Dave's Cadilliac backside. How did I know? He had "Celtics -18" as his license plate.

[OAITW r.2.0]

3. Wow, another Celtic down.....I remember Paul because I was a Celtics fan in the 70's.

and 60's - now. Hard to believe in this unbelievable year.

[underpants]

5. Triple overtime game 7 in 1976 was when I became a Celtics fan

It was the first NBA game I’d ever watched.