Paul Westphal: Hall of Fame Guard and Phoenix Suns Coach Dies at 70

Paul Westphal was an American basketball player and coach, a five-time NBA All-Star guard who later led the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals as a head coach. Born Paul Douglas Westphal on November 30, 1950, in Torrance, California, he starred at USC before becoming one of the best guards of the 1970s.

Westphal won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 1974 and was a five-time All-Star from 1977 to 1981, mostly with the Phoenix Suns. He played a key role in Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals, often called the greatest game ever played. As Suns coach he reached the NBA Finals in 1993, and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.

Westphal was the first winner of the NBA All-Star Weekend H-O-R-S-E competition and was married to Cindy Westphal for more than 40 years, with whom he had two children. He was diagnosed with brain cancer in August 2020 and died in Scottsdale, Arizona, on January 2, 2021, at age 70. Remembered for his flair and his competitive spirit, he left a mark as both a player and a coach.

Achievements: NBA champion with the Boston Celtics (1974), five-time NBA All-Star (1977-1981), coached the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals (1993), inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2019).

Birth: November 30, 1950 - Torrance, California.

Profession: Basketball player and coach.

Interesting Facts: He was a star in the famous triple-overtime Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals. He was the first winner of the NBA All-Star Weekend H-O-R-S-E competition.