RIP: Paul Westphal (1950-2020)

[carrrnuttt]

Damn. Just heard from my wife.

R.I.P. Westy.

 

[Bobster]

Westphal was my favorite player as a kid, so this is a tough one.

I feared for the worst when they stopped posting about visits on his Facebook account after Kevin Johnson went to see him on November 20th.

 

[Raindog]

For six years, he played alongside all-NBA defense Guards --
three with Don Buse and three with Dennis Johnson.

While the rest of your post is good, you are misremembering this point. Westphal was actually traded for Dennis Johnson... so they never played together.

 

[Raindog]

Should dedicate this season to Westphal. Wouldn’t it be something if...?

It's too bad Jerry C. is no longer affiliated with the organization, or you could be certain Westy would be memorialized in some official way.

 

[Dr. Jones]

one of the best Suns moments EVER. I remember my friends and I going to the airport to greet the team after we tied up the Lakers series after Game 4. 17 year old schmucks, who had nothing but unbridled belief in that team, with Cheese leading the charge, chugging the Kool-Aid, if you can believe that.

there were probably one or two hundred people at the airport screaming behind the fence at all the Suns getting off the plane and pumping their fists as we cheered them on. That entire run was magic... until freaking Paxson.

I had tickets to GAME 7. Ugh. Ugh.

I was at the airport after game 4 also! A 16 year old schmuck! HAHA #FistBump

 

[Cheesebeef]

I was at the airport after game 4 also! A 16 year old schmuck! HAHA #FistBump

ha! Awesome!

 

[TRW]

Great player, good coach, wonderful human being. He played for and coached some of the best Suns teams in their history, at least IMO.

R.I.P. Westy.

 

[Zobaczcie suki]

I must have been in 5th grade watching him and AA lead the Suns into the Finals. After that, my friends and I collected the Westphal posters, the Circle K player cups, and whatever they were handing out at the Madhouse on McDowell.

We played most of our basketball with a tennis ball in the parking lot without a real hoop, but would always try to replicate his shots and moves.

Thanks for the good times Westphal.

RIP.

 

[Finito]

I must have been in 5th grade watching him and AA lead the Suns into the Finals. After that, my friends and I collected the Westphal posters, the Circle K player cups, and whatever they were handing out at the Madhouse on McDowell.

We played most of our basketball with a tennis ball in the parking lot without a real hoop, but would always try to replicate his shots and moves.

Thanks for the good times Westphal.

RIP.

oh I had everything.

I remember walking to Circle K and seeing a 64oz cup for the first time with Oliver Miller on it “The Big-O Bucket” i was probably 10/11 of course I had to get filled it up with soda. The lady behind me goes dude look at his cup. My mom took us to the open practices and the parade after we loss.

makes me smile to this day. I swear to god if the Suns ever win a championship I might just cry.

 

[AzStevenCal]

While the rest of your post is good, you are misremembering this point. Westphal was actually traded for Dennis Johnson... so they never played together.

Yeah, Paul came back to the Suns for his final season but DJ was in Boston by then.

 

[Zobaczcie suki]

oh I had everything.

I remember walking to Circle K and seeing a 64oz cup for the first time with Oliver Miller on it “The Big-O Bucket” i was probably 10/11 of course I had to get filled it up with soda. The lady behind me goes dude look at his cup. My mom took us to the open practices and the parade after we loss.

makes me smile to this day. I swear to god if the Suns ever win a championship I might just cry.

Nice.

I don't even remember which year it was but I also ended up with the Circle K cups for..

Bayard Forest
Jeff Cook
Joel Kramer
Alvin Scott "t bone"
...

Some of the less well known players...

Didn't have them at nearby Utotem, had to go a couple miles to the Circle K...

 

[Zobaczcie suki]

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[Mainstreet]

Nice.

I don't even remember which year it was but I also ended up with the Circle K cups for..

Bayard Forest
Jeff Cook
Joel Kramer
Alvin Scott "t bone"
...

Some of the less well known players...

Didn't have them at nearby Utotem, had to go a couple miles to the Circle K...

Those were some nice role players. I believe Bayard Forest was from Grand Canyon University. The Suns were always looking for a center in those days.

 

[Zobaczcie suki]

Those were some nice role players. I believe Bayard Forest was from Grand Canyon University. The Suns were always looking for a center in those days.

No disrespect to those guys or AA, but Westphal's talent allowed the Suns to get by without a great "true center" for years. Check this out

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[Mainstreet]

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Nice video and there was Joe Proski on the bench.

 

[Zobaczcie suki]

Nice video and there was Joe Proski on the bench.

Ya with Al Bianchi et al. Love those 70s styles. Those days seem so innocent and wonderful looking back.

 

[Mainstreet]

No disrespect to those guys or AA, but Westphal's talent allowed the Suns to get by without a great "true center" for years. Check this out

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Westy gave the Suns the whole package: shooting, ability to penetrate and passing.

Also Alvin Adams did a nice job as a high post center.

 

[Mainstreet]

Ya with Al Bianchi et al. Love those 70s styles. Those days seem so innocent and wonderful looking back.

It's very nostalgic looking back and Phoenix still had the feel of a smaller city.

 

[BC867]

As I posted in Sunday's game thread, a great tribute on the pre-game show.

 

[BC867]

While the rest of your post is good, you are misremembering this point. Westphal was actually traded for Dennis Johnson... so they never played together.

You're right! I should have remembered it as . . . the Suns had an
All-NBA defensive Guard six seasons in a row.

Of course, that had less to do with Westy. Just three in a row.

Thanks.

 

[BC867]

Ya with Al Bianchi et al. Love those 70s styles. Those days seem so innocent and wonderful looking back.

It was Al Bianchi who introduced the whole Suns team to Niccoli's, the Italian deli owned by
my former neighbors, Joe & Peppy Niccoli. Bryan Colangelo used to date their daughter.

 

[Hoop Head]

I fell in love with the Suns when Westphal was their coach. I liked them but was a little too young to remember much about them prior to that 92 Barkley team. I always thought he should have been given a second shot at coaching the Suns after Barkley because that rebuild was rocky and he went from coaching a contender to a team lacking direction. I know he wasn't a perfect coach by any means but his confidence as a coach helped the team a lot when they were contenders.

By being the Suns coach I got to learn about him as a player and he was before his time. He was quick, smart, and fearless on the floor. I wish I could have seen him play live. He doesn't get enough credit for how good of a player he was since he played here in his prime and outside of the cinderella finals run, that team wasn't really making waves across the league.

He was always a class act when I saw him interviewed or doing anything with the Suns after his professional coaching career has ended.

RIP
RIP

 

[JCSunsfan]

Funny. I think of Westy as a player first--a coach only incidentally. It depends on how old you are I guess.;

 

[JCSunsfan]

It was Al Bianchi who introduced the whole Suns team to Niccoli's, the Italian deli owned by
my former neighbors, Joe & Peppy Niccoli. Bryan Colangelo used to date their daughter.

The Colangelos were Italian through and through, that seems to include dating and marriage choices.