 Westphal in 2014 | |
| 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 |
| Drafted by | Boston Celtics |
| Playing career | 1972–1984 |
| Position | Shooting guard /point guard |
| Number | 44 |
| Coaching career | 1985–2016 |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1972–1975 | Boston Celtics |
| 1975–1980 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1980–1981 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1982–1983 | New York Knicks |
| 1983–1984 | Phoenix Suns |
Coaching | |
| 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 | |
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 atBasketball Reference | |
| Career coaching record | |
| NBA | 318–279 (.533) |
| College | 159–98 (.619) |
| Record atBasketball Reference | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
| Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame | |
Paul Douglas Westphal (November 30, 1950 – January 2, 2021) was an Americanbasketball player and coach.
Westphal played in theNational Basketball Association (NBA) from 1972 to 1984. Playing theguard position, he won an NBA championship with theBoston Celtics in1974. Westphal played in theNBA Finals again in1976 as a member of thePhoenix Suns. His NBA career also included stints with theSeattle SuperSonics and theNew York Knicks. In addition to being a five-timeAll-Star selection, Westphal earned threeAll-NBA First Team selections and one Second Team honor.
After his playing career ended, Westphal coached for Southwestern Baptist Bible College (nowArizona Christian University),Grand Canyon University, andPepperdine University, and served also as head coach of the Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics, andSacramento Kings in the NBA. Westphal coached the Suns to the NBA Finals in1993.
In 2019, Westphal was inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Born inTorrance, California,[1] Westphal went toAviation High School inRedondo Beach from 1966 to 1969.[2] He attended theUniversity of Southern California inLos Angeles and playedcollege basketball for theTrojans atguard.
USC had a 24–2 (.923)record in1971, setting a Trojans record for winning percentage. In that era, thePac-8 Conference sent only one team (championUCLA) to the 25-teamNCAA tournament and none to the 16-teamNational Invitation Tournament (NIT).
Westphal was anAll-American teamcaptain in1972. Playing for USC from 1970 to 1972, he averaged 16.9points per game and led the Trojans with 20.3 points per game in 1972.[3]
TheBoston Celtics selected Westphal tenth overall in the1972 NBA draft.[3] After three seasons in Boston, including achampionship in1974,[4] the Celtics traded Westphal and two second round draft picks to thePhoenix Suns forCharlie Scott.[5][6]
In his first season with in Phoenix, Westphal helped the Suns reach their firstNBA Finals, against theCeltics. In Game 5 of that series, often called"the greatest game ever played" in NBA history,[7][8][9] he made several critical plays that pushed the game into triple overtime before Boston prevailed.[10][11][12][13] Notably, Westphal exploited a loophole within NBA rules that effectively allowed the Suns to cede a point to get the ball at half-court with two seconds remaining at the end of the second overtime; the Suns tied the game thanks to the loophole.[14]
Westphal was sixth in the NBA in scoring average for the1977–78 season at 25.2 points per game,[15] and was also the firstNBA All-Star Weekend H-O-R-S-E Competition champion.[16] The followingseason, he was seventh in scoring average with 24.0 points per game.[17]
After the1979–80 season in early June, the Suns traded Westphal to theSeattle SuperSonics forDennis Johnson,[18][19][20][21] He played 36 games in the 1980–81 season, limited by a stress fracture in his right foot. He was afree agent after the season, but Seattle held theright of first refusal. He was unable to come to terms with the Sonics.[22]
After missing most of the 1981–82 season, Westphal signed with theNew York Knicks in late February 1982 after Seattle declined to match the offer.[23][24][25] He was named theNBA Comeback Player of the Year in 1982–83, when he averaged 10 points and 5.5 assists and helped the Knicks qualify for theplayoffs.[26]
He signed a two-year contract with Phoenix in September1983,[27][28] and the Suns waived him in October 1984.[29]
In his NBA career, Westphal scored a total of 12,809 points for an average of 15.6 points per game, with 3,591 assists for an average of 4.4 assists per game. He also had 1,580 rebounds, for an average of 1.9 per game. Westphal was a five-time All-Star, a three-time All-NBA first team selection, and a one-time second team All-NBA selection. He is Phoenix's fifth all-time leading scorer (9,564), averaging 20.6 points in six seasons (1975–80, 1983–84). His No. 44 wasretired by the Suns, and he is a member of theirRing of Honor.[30] Westphal was also inducted into theNaismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a player on September 6, 2019.[31]
Westphal's coaching career started in 1985 at Southwestern Baptist Bible College (nowArizona Christian University), located in Phoenix. After compiling a 21–9 record in his lone season there, he moved on toGrand Canyon College, also in Phoenix, and after two seasons led them to theNAIA national title in 1988.[32][33]
In1988, after three years in the college ranks, Westphal became an assistant coach with thePhoenix Suns under head coachCotton Fitzsimmons, and in1992, he succeeded Fitzsimmons as head coach of the Suns.[32][34] With players such asKevin Johnson,Dan Majerle, rookieRichard Dumas,Charles Barkley, andDanny Ainge, the Suns made it to theNBA Finals in Westphal's first season as a coach, but lost to theChicago Bulls in six games.[35] While the Suns made the playoffs during each of Westphal's seasons as coach, they did not return to the Finals, and Westphal was let go during the 1995–96 season.[36] He served as an assistant coach for a high school team inArizona for two years before he returned to the NBA as a coach with the SuperSonics for the 1998–99 season.[2] He coached in Seattle until he was fired 15 games into the2000–01 season.[37]
Westphal returned to the college ranks in April 2001 atPepperdine University. In his first season, Westphal led theWaves to a 22–9 record and tied the nationally rankedGonzaga Bulldogs for theWCC title. The team received an at-large berth to theNCAA tournament, but lost 83–74 toWake Forest in the first round, played atARCO Arena in Sacramento. This was the only postseason berth during the rest of Westphal's five-year tenure and he finished with an overall record of 74–72. After a 7–20 season in 2005–06, Westphal was fired on March 15, 2006.[38]
On June 28, 2007, theDallas Mavericks announced they had hired Westphal as an assistant coach under head coachAvery Johnson.[39] When Johnson was replaced byRick Carlisle, Westphal left coaching to become executive vice-president of basketball operations (underDonnie Nelson) for the Mavericks in October 2008.[40] On June 10, 2009, Westphal was named head coach of theSacramento Kings.[41] Westphal was fired from the Kings on January 5, 2012.[34][42]
For the 2014–15 season, Westphal was hired by theBrooklyn Nets as an assistant to new head coachLionel Hollins.[43] Hollins had previously served as Westphal's assistant coach in Phoenix. When the Nets fired Hollins in January 2016, Westphal left the team.[44]
Westphal also worked as a studio analyst forFox Sports Net West/Prime Ticket forLos Angeles Clippers andLos Angeles Lakers games, first joining them during the Clippers' run in the2006 NBA Playoffs.[45]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Won anNBA championship | * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972–73 | Boston | 60 | — | 8.0 | .420 | — | .779 | 1.1 | 1.2 | — | — | 4.1 |
| 1973–74† | Boston | 82 | — | 14.2 | .501 | — | .732 | 1.7 | 2.1 | .5 | .4 | 7.2 |
| 1974–75 | Boston | 82 | — | 19.3 | .510 | — | .763 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 1.0 | .4 | 9.8 |
| 1975–76 | Phoenix | 82 | — | 36.1 | .494 | — | .830 | 3.2 | 5.4 | 2.6 | .5 | 20.5 |
| 1976–77 | Phoenix | 81 | — | 32.1 | .518 | — | .825 | 2.3 | 5.7 | 1.7 | .3 | 21.3 |
| 1977–78 | Phoenix | 80 | — | 31.0 | .516 | — | .813 | 2.1 | 5.5 | 1.7 | .4 | 25.2 |
| 1978–79 | Phoenix | 81 | — | 32.6 | .535 | — | .837 | 2.0 | 6.5 | 1.4 | .3 | 24.0 |
| 1979–80 | Phoenix | 82 | 82 | 32.5 | .525 | .280 | .862 | 2.3 | 5.1 | 1.5 | .4 | 21.9 |
| 1980–81 | Seattle | 36 | — | 29.9 | .442 | .240 | .832 | 1.9 | 4.1 | 1.3 | .4 | 16.7 |
| 1981–82 | New York | 18 | 12 | 25.1 | .443 | .250 | .766 | 1.2 | 5.6 | 1.1 | .4 | 11.7 |
| 1982–83 | New York | 80 | 59 | 24.7 | .459 | .292 | .804 | 1.4 | 5.5 | 1.1 | .2 | 10.0 |
| 1983–84 | Phoenix | 59 | 2 | 14.7 | .460 | .269 | .824 | .7 | 2.5 | .7 | .1 | 7.0 |
| Career | 823 | 155 | 25.5 | .504 | .275 | .820 | 1.9 | 4.4 | 1.3 | .3 | 15.6 | |
| All-Star | 5 | 4 | 25.6 | .632 | .000 | .688 | 1.4 | 4.8 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 19.4 | |
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | STL | BLK | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Boston | 11 | 9.9 | .487 | — | .714 | .6 | .8 | — | — | 3.9 |
| 1974† | Boston | 18 | 13.4 | .460 | — | .714 | 1.2 | 1.7 | .4 | .1 | 5.7 |
| 1975 | Boston | 11 | 16.6 | .469 | — | .667 | 1.2 | 2.9 | .5 | .2 | 8.0 |
| 1976 | Phoenix | 19 | 36.1 | .511 | — | .763 | 2.5 | 5.1 | 1.8 | .5 | 21.1 |
| 1978 | Phoenix | 2 | 33.0 | .468 | — | .889 | 3.0 | 9.5 | .5 | .0 | 26.0 |
| 1979 | Phoenix | 15 | 35.6 | .495 | — | .788 | 2.2 | 4.3 | 1.0 | .3 | 22.4 |
| 1980 | Phoenix | 8 | 31.6 | .486 | .083 | .875 | 1.3 | 3.9 | 1.4 | .4 | 20.9 |
| 1983 | New York | 6 | 26.0 | .440 | .375 | .769 | 1.3 | 5.7 | .3 | .3 | 9.5 |
| 1984 | Phoenix | 17 | 13.1 | .375 | .222 | .875 | .5 | 2.2 | .7 | .0 | 5.3 |
| Career | 107 | 22.9 | .481 | .207 | .789 | 1.4 | 3.3 | .9 | .2 | 12.5 | |
Westphal was married to Cindy Westphal for over 40 years and they had two children together.[46] He was a Christian.[47][48]
In August 2020,ESPN reported that he was diagnosed with brain cancer[49] which he succumbed to inScottsdale, Arizona on January 2, 2021, at the age of 70.[11]
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | 1992–93 | 82 | 62 | 20 | .756 | 1st inPacific | 24 | 13 | 11 | .542 | Lost inNBA Finals |
| Phoenix | 1993–94 | 82 | 56 | 26 | .683 | 2nd in Pacific | 10 | 6 | 4 | .600 | Lost inConference semifinals |
| Phoenix | 1994–95 | 82 | 59 | 23 | .720 | 1st in Pacific | 10 | 6 | 4 | .600 | Lost inConference semifinals |
| Phoenix | 1995–96 | 33 | 14 | 19 | .424 | (fired) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Seattle | 1998–99 | 50 | 25 | 25 | .500 | 5th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Seattle | 1999–2000 | 82 | 45 | 37 | .549 | 4th in Pacific | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | Lost infirst round |
| Seattle | 2000–01 | 15 | 6 | 9 | .400 | (fired) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sacramento | 2009–10 | 82 | 25 | 57 | .305 | 5th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Sacramento | 2010–11 | 82 | 24 | 58 | .293 | 5th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Sacramento | 2011–12 | 7 | 2 | 5 | .286 | (fired) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | 597 | 318 | 279 | .533 | 49 | 27 | 22 | .551 | |||
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Baptist Bible Eagles(National Little College Athletic Association)(1985–1986) | |||||||||
| 1985–86 | Southwestern Baptist Bible | 21–9 | NLCAA Tournament | ||||||
| Southwestern Baptist Bible: | 21–9 (.700) | ||||||||
| Grand Canyon Antelopes(NAIA independent)(1986–1988) | |||||||||
| 1986–87 | Grand Canyon | 26–12 | |||||||
| 1987–88 | Grand Canyon | 37–6 | NAIA Champions | ||||||
| Grand Canyon: | 63–18 (.778) | ||||||||
| Pepperdine Waves(West Coast Conference)(2001–2006) | |||||||||
| 2001–02 | Pepperdine | 21–9 | 13–1 | T–1st | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
| 2002–03 | Pepperdine | 15–13 | 7–7 | 4th | |||||
| 2003–04 | Pepperdine | 15–15 | 9–5 | T–2nd | |||||
| 2004–05 | Pepperdine | 17–14 | 6–8 | T–5th | |||||
| 2005–06 | Pepperdine | 7–20 | 3–11 | 8th | |||||
| Pepperdine: | 75–71 (.514) | 38–32 (.543) | |||||||
| Total: | 159–98 (.619) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||
