RIP: Paul Westphal (1950-2020)

[Dback Jon]

Age 70 from Brain Cancer

 

[Azlen]

Great player and not a bad coach. I remember how adamant he was that the Suns would come back in the 1st round series against the Lakers and how prophetic he ended up being.
RIP Paul.

 

[Mainstreet]

Thanks for the memories.

Rest in Peace, Paul Westphal.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nb...stphal-has-reportedly-passed-away/ar-BB1cq5Ii

 

[1Sun]

One of my favorite Suns players as a kid, and one of their better coaches. Sad loss. May his memory be a blessing.

 

[Raindog]

Sad to hear, although probably not surprising given what had been going on with him.

One of the all-time great Suns. I am glad that he did get elected to the Hall of Fame before his passing though.

RIP Paul.

 

[Finito]

That sucks. He’s got a special place in Suns history

 

[Dr. Jones]

RIP to a Suns great. A beloved player and a very solid coach.

I loved this guy and attended his summer basketball camps in Prescott between 92 and 95.

RIP sir. You were a great man...... Who enriched the lives of thousands of youth basketball players. The ring of honor isn't enough to describe your impact.

 

[JCSunsfan]

He was my first favorite Suns player. I became a fan as a junior higher in that 1976 run to the playoffs. I even read Joe Gilmartin's book then. Can't believe he is gone. 70 is young.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I met him a few times and then played in a charity wheelchair basketball game at ASU (1980?) against him, Walter Davis, Truck Robinson, Alton Lister and several other Suns and former ASU athletes. As was true no matter the sport or game, Paul was a true competitor.

We played in chairs that were somewhat modified for the game but the celebrities got stuck in regular hospital wheelchairs which means if you pushed the wheels hard you were going to ram your hand into the brakes. Most of the stand up players took it easy but Paul played every possession as if it were life and death. By the end of the night his hands were ripped up and bloody from the constant starting and stopping not to mention the damage from the brakes.

RIP Westy. Thanks for a lot of great Suns memories, none greater than the finals against Boston.

 

[Covert Rain]

R.I.P. Westy. IMO a still the greatest run in Suns history was behind him.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I will always love him if for nothing else but the Westphal Guarantee.

RIP Westy.

 

[Dr. Jones]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[Dr. Jones]

Lupica got it right.......

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[Ronin]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[Chaplin]

Now he and Cotton can sit together and watch a few games together.

RIP

 

[JCSunsfan]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[82CardsGrad]

Sad news. Westy and his wife attend my church. They are truly amazing people. I had the honor of praying over Westy, along with several other men from church, roughly 5 months ago at his home here in Scottsdale. He was still quite functional and talkative, cracking jokes...
Incredible how quickly his health deteriorated from that point... he battled glioblastoma, which remains undefeated...
RIP Paul... and may God bring peace and comfort to Cindy and the entire Westphal family. [emoji3525][emoji120]

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

He was one of my original memories of becoming a suns fan. Attended his basketball camp at the JCC. Was a really nice guy. RIP.

 

[Yuma]

One of the All Time Greats! No doubt!

 

[Cheesebeef]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

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.

 

[BC867]

So sorry to hear about the passing of Westy.

The time he signed an autograph for my younger son, Paul,
will remain in our memories. "To Paul, from Paul".

He was special! As a player, a coach and a Suns legend.

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

And the ambidextrous Paul Westphal did his thing on offense.

An intelligent, compassionate man. And a positive image for
the Valley of the Sun.

 

[Big D]

RIP coach.

That Suns run to the finals is still to this day the single most exciting and overall best sports season I’ve ever experienced.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

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

 

[Absolute Zero]

What a great loss. Speechless here, but great write up here. Some of the younger Suns fans may not realize what a great player he was.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...ith-memorial-basketball-hall-fame-dies-age-70

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Is he the only individual to be involved in two triple OT games in the finals?once as a player and once as a coach.