# Paul Westphal
**Paul Westphal** (Paul Douglas Westphal, November 30, 1950 – January 2, 2021) was an American professional basketball player and coach, a Hall of Fame guard who won the 1974 NBA championship with the [Boston Celtics](https://www.edgepedia.org/boston-celtics), starred for the [Phoenix Suns](https://www.edgepedia.org/phoenix-suns), and later coached the Suns to the 1993 [NBA Finals](https://www.edgepedia.org/nba-finals).[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/westppa01.html) • [2](https://www.nba.com/news/hall-of-famer-paul-westphal-dies-at-70)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | 1950, Torrance, California; January 2, 2021, Scottsdale, Arizona, of brain cancer diagnosed in August 2020[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/westppa01.html) • [3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/paul-westphal-celtics-nba-dead/2021/01/02/13a79d32-4d4a-11eb-839a-cf4ba7b7c48c_story.html) |
| Playing career | 12 NBA seasons, 1972–84, with the Celtics, Suns, SuperSonics, and Knicks; 823 games, 15.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists per game, 50.4% field-goal shooting[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/westppa01.html) |
| Honors | 5-time NBA All-Star, 4 straight All-NBA selections (3 First Team), 1974 NBA champion; inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 2019[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/westppa01.html) • [2](https://www.nba.com/news/hall-of-famer-paul-westphal-dies-at-70) |
| College | USC, 1968–72; 24-2 record in 1971, a school mark for wins and winning percentage; 16.4-point career average; No. 25 retired by USC[4](https://collegebasketballexperience.com/members/paul-westphal/) • [5](https://usctrojans.com/honors/usc-athletics-hall-of-fame/paul-westphal/61) |
| 1976 Finals | Led Phoenix to its first NBA Finals; scored 25 points in Game 5, a triple-overtime loss often called the greatest game ever played[2](https://www.nba.com/news/hall-of-famer-paul-westphal-dies-at-70) |
| Head coaching | Southwestern Baptist Bible, Grand Canyon (1988 NAIA national champion), Pepperdine, Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics, Sacramento Kings; NBA record 318–279 (.533) in 597 games[6](https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/westppa01c.html) • [7](https://www.legendsofbasketball.com/alumni/paul-westphal/) |
| Suns legacy | No. 44 retired by Phoenix; his 68.5% head-coaching winning percentage over 279 Suns games remains a franchise record[8](https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2021-01-02/paul-westphal-nba-great-dies-obit) |
## Early life and college
Westphal grew up in the Los Angeles area and starred at Aviation High School in [Redondo Beach, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/redondo-beach-california).[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/westppa01.html) USC assistant Jim Hefner recruited him, watching him in South Bay gymnasiums and in weekend pickup games at El Camino College; many expected him to choose UCLA and coach [John Wooden](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-wooden), but he committed to Hefner and head coach Bob Boyd, saying that winning at USC would be a bigger achievement because UCLA was always winning.[8](https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2021-01-02/paul-westphal-nba-great-dies-obit)
He joined the varsity as a sophomore and led the Trojans to a 24-2 record and a No. 5 ranking as a junior in 1971, a school mark for wins and winning percentage; both losses were to UCLA, and only conference winners reached the NCAA tournament at the time.[8](https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2021-01-02/paul-westphal-nba-great-dies-obit) • [5](https://usctrojans.com/honors/usc-athletics-hall-of-fame/paul-westphal/61) He earned All-American recognition as a junior and senior, averaged 16.4 points over his USC career, the ninth-highest scoring average in program history, and as a senior captain led the Trojans at 20.3 points per game.[8](https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2021-01-02/paul-westphal-nba-great-dies-obit) • [4](https://collegebasketballexperience.com/members/paul-westphal/) • [2](https://www.nba.com/news/hall-of-famer-paul-westphal-dies-at-70) USC retired his No. 25 jersey.[9](https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/paul-westphal)
## NBA playing career
The Boston Celtics selected Westphal 10th overall in the first round of the 1972 [NBA draft](https://www.edgepedia.org/nba-draft).[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/westppa01.html) He spent three seasons in Boston as a reserve guard and won the 1974 championship; in Game 7 of the 1974 Finals against the [Milwaukee Bucks](https://www.edgepedia.org/milwaukee-bucks) he scored 12 points, handed out six assists, and defended perennial All-Star Oscar Robertson for 31 crucial minutes.[9](https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/paul-westphal)
**Phoenix years.** After the 1975 season the Celtics traded him to the Suns, where reports of distrust from Boston coach [Tom Heinsohn](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-heinsohn) had limited his progress and Phoenix saw untapped potential.[10](https://www.nba.com/suns/history/suns-throwback-westphal-comes-west) In Phoenix he became one of the league's best all-around guards: five consecutive All-Star teams, four straight All-NBA selections including three First Team nods, and better than 20 points per game for five straight seasons.[9](https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/paul-westphal) • [11](https://deepbenchchronicles.com/2026/05/27/a-tale-of-two-seasons-paul-westphal-on-coaching/) In six Suns seasons he averaged 20.6 points, and his 1977-78 season was his best at 25.2 points per game.[8](https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2021-01-02/paul-westphal-nba-great-dies-obit) • [3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/paul-westphal-celtics-nba-dead/2021/01/02/13a79d32-4d4a-11eb-839a-cf4ba7b7c48c_story.html)
In 1976 he led the Suns to their first NBA Finals against the Celtics. Game 5, a triple-overtime Boston win of 128-126, is often called the greatest game ever played. With Phoenix trailing 94-91 in the closing seconds of regulation, Westphal stole the ball from JoJo White, was fouled, and tied the game with a three-point play. In the second overtime, with 15 seconds left and the Suns down 109-108, he stole an inbounds pass from [John Havlicek](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-havlicek) to set up a Phoenix lead. With one second restored on the clock, Westphal called a timeout the Suns did not have, taking a technical foul that gave Boston a free throw, but the possession at midcourt that followed let Phoenix score and force a third overtime. He finished with 25 points.[2](https://www.nba.com/news/hall-of-famer-paul-westphal-dies-at-70)
He finished his career with Seattle and the [New York Knicks](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-knicks), playing 98 games for New York across the 1982 and 1983 seasons.[3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/paul-westphal-celtics-nba-dead/2021/01/02/13a79d32-4d4a-11eb-839a-cf4ba7b7c48c_story.html) • [11](https://deepbenchchronicles.com/2026/05/27/a-tale-of-two-seasons-paul-westphal-on-coaching/) The Suns retired his No. 44 jersey.[2](https://www.nba.com/news/hall-of-famer-paul-westphal-dies-at-70)
## Coaching career
Westphal moved into coaching after retiring, starting at small colleges in Phoenix: a volunteer year at Southwestern Baptist Bible College, then the head job at Grand Canyon College, where his 1988 team won the NAIA national championship.[12](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-11-15-sp-3742-story.html) • [5](https://usctrojans.com/honors/usc-athletics-hall-of-fame/paul-westphal/61) He also coached Pepperdine before returning to the NBA as a Suns assistant in 1988.[4](https://collegebasketballexperience.com/members/paul-westphal/) • [2](https://www.nba.com/news/hall-of-famer-paul-westphal-dies-at-70)
**The 1993 Finals run.** In his first season as an NBA head coach, 1992-93, Westphal guided the Suns to the league's best record and their first Finals berth since 1976, where they lost to the [Chicago Bulls](https://www.edgepedia.org/chicago-bulls).[13](https://usctrojans.com/documents/download/2020/12/22/Section_7.pdf) • [2](https://www.nba.com/news/hall-of-famer-paul-westphal-dies-at-70) He coached 279 games for Phoenix and won 68.5% of them, still a franchise record.[8](https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2021-01-02/paul-westphal-nba-great-dies-obit) He later served as head coach of the [Seattle SuperSonics](https://www.edgepedia.org/seattle-supersonics) and the [Sacramento Kings](https://www.edgepedia.org/sacramento-kings), and worked as an assistant with Dallas and Brooklyn.[3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/paul-westphal-celtics-nba-dead/2021/01/02/13a79d32-4d4a-11eb-839a-cf4ba7b7c48c_story.html) • [2](https://www.nba.com/news/hall-of-famer-paul-westphal-dies-at-70) His NBA head-coaching record was 318 wins and 279 losses, a .533 percentage, with a 27-22 playoff record.[6](https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/westppa01c.html)
## Recognition and death
Westphal entered the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 2019, sharing the stage at his enshrinement with [Elgin Baylor](https://www.edgepedia.org/elgin-baylor) and [Charles Barkley](https://www.edgepedia.org/charles-barkley), the best player he ever coached.[2](https://www.nba.com/news/hall-of-famer-paul-westphal-dies-at-70) • [8](https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2021-01-02/paul-westphal-nba-great-dies-obit) NBA commissioner Adam Silver called him "one of the great all-around players of his era," and former Suns owner Jerry Colangelo said few people had as much influence on the franchise's history.[14](https://pr.nba.com/adam-silver-statement-paul-westphal/) • [2](https://www.nba.com/news/hall-of-famer-paul-westphal-dies-at-70)
He died on January 2, 2021, in Scottsdale, Arizona, at age 70, of complications from brain cancer diagnosed the previous August, and is survived by his wife Cindy and two children.[3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/paul-westphal-celtics-nba-dead/2021/01/02/13a79d32-4d4a-11eb-839a-cf4ba7b7c48c_story.html) • [2](https://www.nba.com/news/hall-of-famer-paul-westphal-dies-at-70)
## References
1. [Paul Westphal Stats, Basketball-Reference](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/westppa01.html)
2. [Hall of Famer Paul Westphal dies at 70, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/news/hall-of-famer-paul-westphal-dies-at-70)
3. [Paul Westphal, Hall of Fame basketball player who coached in the NBA, dies at 70, The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/paul-westphal-celtics-nba-dead/2021/01/02/13a79d32-4d4a-11eb-839a-cf4ba7b7c48c_story.html)
4. [Paul Westphal, College Basketball Experience](https://collegebasketballexperience.com/members/paul-westphal/)
5. [Paul Westphal (1997), USC Athletics Hall of Fame](https://usctrojans.com/honors/usc-athletics-hall-of-fame/paul-westphal/61)
6. [Paul Westphal Coaching Record, Basketball-Reference](https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/westppa01c.html)
7. [Paul Westphal, National Basketball Retired Players Association](https://www.legendsofbasketball.com/alumni/paul-westphal/)
8. [Paul Westphal dead: Basketball Hall of Famer from L.A., Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2021-01-02/paul-westphal-nba-great-dies-obit)
9. [Paul Westphal, The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame](https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/paul-westphal)
10. [Suns Throwback: Westphal Comes West, Phoenix Suns](https://www.nba.com/suns/history/suns-throwback-westphal-comes-west)
11. [A Tale of Two Seasons: Paul Westphal on Coaching, Deep Bench Chronicles](https://deepbenchchronicles.com/2026/05/27/a-tale-of-two-seasons-paul-westphal-on-coaching/)
12. [Westphal Rises Again in Phoenix as Coach at Grand Canyon College, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-11-15-sp-3742-story.html)
13. [USC Section 7 (Hall of Fame), usctrojans.com](https://usctrojans.com/documents/download/2020/12/22/Section_7.pdf)
14. [Adam Silver's statement regarding the passing of Paul Westphal, NBA Communications](https://pr.nba.com/adam-silver-statement-paul-westphal/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Basketball players and coaches (biographies) › Early NBA and BAA players*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license