Paul Westphal, a Hall of Fame basketball player who won the championship with the Boston Celtics in 1974 and later coached in the league and in college basketball, has died. He was 70 years old.
The Phoenix Suns confirmed Westphal’s death in a statement on Saturday. No cause was given, but Westphal had been diagnosed with brain cancer in August.
A guardian who competed in five All-Star Games, Westphal played in the NBA from 1972 to 1984. After winning the championship with the Celtics, he reached the final in 1976 with Phoenix. Juice for Seattle and New York.
At the end of his playing career, Westphal became a coach. He coached the Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals and was also the Seattle and Sacramento coach. In basketball, he coached Southwestern Baptist Bible College (now Arizona Christian University), Grand Canyon and Pepperdine.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019.
He is survived by his wife Cindy and two children.