Paul Westphal
American basketball player and coach (1950–2021) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Paul Douglas Westphal (November 30, 1950 – January 2, 2021) was an American basketball player, head coach, and commentator.
 Westphal in 1975 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1950-11-30)November 30, 1950 Torrance, California, U.S. |
| Died | January 2, 2021(2021-01-02) (aged 70) Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Aviation (Redondo Beach, California) |
| College | USC (1969–1972) |
| NBA draft | 1972: 1st round, 10th overall pick |
| Selected by the Boston Celtics | |
| Playing career | 1972–1984 |
| Position | Shooting guard / point guard |
| Number | 44 |
| 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:
| |
| Career playing statistics | |
| Points | 12,809 (15.6 ppg) |
| Assists | 3,591 (4.4 apg) |
| Steals | 1,022 (1.3 spg) |
Stats  at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Career coaching record | |
| NBA | 318–279 (.533) |
| College | 159–98 (.619) |
| Basketball Hall of Fame as player | |
| College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2018 | |
Westphal played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1972 to 1984. Playing the guard position, he won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 1974. Westphal played in the NBA Finals again in 1976 as a member of the Phoenix Suns. His NBA career also included stints with the Seattle SuperSonics and the New York Knicks. In addition to being a five-time All-Star selection, Westphal earned three All-NBA First Team selections and one Second Team honor.
After his playing career ended, Westphal coached for Southwestern Baptist Bible College (now Arizona Christian University), Grand Canyon University, and Pepperdine University, and served also as head coach of the Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics, and Sacramento Kings in the NBA. Westphal coached the Suns to the NBA Finals in 1993.
In 2019, Westphal was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.