Paul Westphal, who won an NBA title with the Boston Celtics and went on to become an icon for the Phoenix Suns, where he spent 14 seasons as a player and coach, has died at age 70, the organization said on Saturday. based in Arizona.
Drafted in 10th position by Boston in 1972, the 1.93m point guard was titled with the Celtics in 1974, but, traded to Phoenix in 1975, it was with this club that he became a star.
“’Westy’ won’t be immortalized just for playing basketball. He will be remembered for the way he lived his life and treated others, ”the Suns said in a statement.
“His legacy makes him one of the most successful basketball icons of all time,” added Robert Sarver, the owner of the franchise.
As a head coach between 1992 and 1995, Westphal took Charles Barkley’s Suns to the NBA Finals in 1993, beaten in six games by Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.
He then notably directed the Seattle Sonics from 1998 to 2000 then the Sacramento Kings from 2009 to 2012.
Last August, ESPN reported that Westphal, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019, suffered from brain cancer.
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