10 overall by the Boston Celtics.
Westphal was inducted into the Suns' Ring of Honor in 1998 and his number "44" has been retired. The year 2020 continues to be awful, spitting out one bad story after another. He was named head coach of the Suns in 1992 and led the team to the NBA Finals his first year. If you have felt that 2020 is a year in which you simply don’t want to get up each morning, out of fear that the news is going to be terrible, or that the news is going to be worse today than it was the previous day, you’re not alone.

Entertainment Tonight/TV Guide Network. NBA Hall of Famer Paul Westphal has been diagnosed with brain cancer.

Westphal was a member of the 24-2 USC team under coach Bob Boyd in 1971, regarded by many as the best Trojan men’s basketball team of all time.

Westphal then moved on to coaching and spent three seasons in the college ranks before coming back to the Suns as an assistant coach in 1988. "With his permission I am letting the basketball world know he has just been diagnosed with brain cancer. Because of the difficulty of assessing 1940s-era college basketball in a modern context, it is easier to look at the 1971 Trojans — set against the UCLA dynasty — and recognize their brilliance as a team. USC hoops legend Paul Westphal diagnosed with brain cancer. Suns head coach Monty Williams was asked about the news on Sunday after the team's practice.

We hope for a full recovery, and we send healing energy to the Westphal family.

Obviously, our thoughts and heartfelt prayers are with him and his family. There is a connection with the USC family in this particular report.

The 69-year-old has been diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive cancer. 1 seed in the Midwest or South Region with a great chance to make the Final Four.

Basketball Hall of Fame guard Paul Westphal has been diagnosed with brain cancer, longtime sports columnist Mike Lupica tweeted Sunday. Westphal and Lupica have been longtime friends, and Lupica announced the sad news on his Twitter account, mentioning that doctors diagnosed Westphal with glioblastoma. He helped the team win a championship in 1974 but made a name for himself when he joined the Suns in 1975. "The Phoenix Suns organizations share their unwavering support for Paul Westphal and his family during this challenging time," the team said.


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During his time in Phoenix, Westphal was named to the All-Star team four times and selected to the All-NBA First Team three times. In a modern college basketball world — with a 68-team NCAA Tournament — the 1971 Trojans would have been a No. He forged a Hall of Fame career, making five All-Star teams and earning three All-NBA First Team selections. Westphal’s high basketball IQ was displayed in Game 5 of that 1976 Finals series, regarded as one of the greatest NBA games ever played. He was also the head coach of the Sonics and Sacramento Kings. Paul has been an iconic cornerstone of the Phoenix Suns franchise for decades, both as an outstanding player and coach. Westphal’s coaching career reached its height in 1993, when he led the Phoenix Suns to their second NBA Finals appearance, the first since the 1976 Finals Westphal played in as a member of the Suns. Our prayers go out to Paul Westphal and all who love him. "We are devastated to hear of his brain cancer diagnosis. Westphal then played for Seattle Supersonics during the 1980-81 season and then moved on to the New York Knicks from 1981-83. Westphal married supreme skill and acute intelligence on the basketball court for 13 years, enabling him to gain a piece of basketball immortality. Copyright 2020 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This is the dark, come-on-it-can’t-keep-getting-worse reality we all inhabit these days. Suns legend and basketball Hall of Famer Paul Westphal has been diagnosed with brain cancer. The 1940 Final Four team under Sam Barry went 20-3 and certainly belongs in the conversation, but the 1971 team lost only twice, and those two losses were to UCLA at the height of John Wooden’s dynastic run with the Bruins. Westphal and Lupica have been longtime friends, and Lupica announced the sad news on his Twitter account, mentioning that doctors diagnosed Westphal with glioblastoma. Westphal, 69, started his NBA career in 1972 when he was drafted No. The latest bad news comes from Mike Lupica, the longtime sportswriter who disclosed the news on Sunday that USC basketball legend Paul Westphal has been diagnosed with brain cancer. The year 2020 continues to be awful, spitting out one bad story after another. We are devastated to hear of his brain cancer diagnosis. - August 11, 2020 05:57 pm EDT. Ex-Celtic Paul Westphal suffering from brain cancer Paul Westphal, who played for the Celtics from 1972 to 1975 and is in the Basketball Hall of Fame, has been diagnosed with brain cancer. When the Suns heard about their former player and head coach, they released a statement. He was named to the All-NBA First Team three times during two stints as a player in Phoenix. Twitter account, mentioning that doctors diagnosed Westphal, Paul Westphal, Suns Legend, Diagnosed With Brain Cancer, UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman Opens up About Being Victim of Sexual Assault at Ohio State, Donald Trump Blasts LeBron James for Being a 'Hater', Former WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio Faces Life in Prison Following Aggravated Kidnapping Charge, Watch Paul Rudd Talk Trash to Robert Downey Jr. in Epic Fantasy Football Music Video, Whitey Ford, Hall of Fame Yankees Pitcher, Dead at 91, Social Media Trolls Tom Brady After Making Big Mental Mistake in Buccaneers Loss vs. Bears, NFL Moves Broncos-Patriots Game to Monday, Bills-Titans to Tuesday, Jackie Robinson's Daughter Blasts Donald Trump's Campaign for Using MLB Legend in Campaign Ad. His tenacity on the court and on the bench led the franchise to two NBA Finals appearances and his impact on the Phoenix community extends well beyond the hardwood.”. He came back to ht Suns for the 1983-84 season, which is where he would end his career. "I've been close friends with Paul Westphal ever since his 1972-73 rookie year with the Boston Celtics and had the pleasure of celebrating his wonderful career with him last September when he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame," Lupica wrote on Twitter. Suns legend and basketball Hall of Famer Paul Westphal has been diagnosed with brain cancer. All rights reserved. Westphal was an anchor for the Phoenix Suns in the latter half of the 1970s, one of the most important Phoenix Suns of all time. Paul Westphal, after making USC great, produced a brilliant career as a player and a good career as a coach. He won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 1974 before going to Phoenix and facing the Celtics in the 1976 NBA Finals.

", Inductee Paul Westphal speaks at the Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony Friday, Sept. 6, 2019, in Springfield, Mass. Show full articles without "Continue Reading" button for {0} hours. Westphal would later become the head coach of the Suns and compiled a 191- 88 record during his tenure, leading them to the NBA Finals in the 1992-1993 season. Please pray for friend, No. Paul Westphal, a Phoenix Suns legend and basketball Hall of Famer, has been diagnosed with brain cancer, according to sports columnist Mike Lupica. In a statement from the Suns they say, “The Phoenix Suns organizations share their unwavering support for Paul Westphal and his family during this challenging time. Abbott's Order to Reduce Mail-in Ballot Locations to One-Per-County, Tim Hortons reveals ambitious plans to open in 'every major city and town' in the UK within 2 years. "That's a tough blow for his family, and especially so many people in Phoenix who hold him in such high regard, and rightfully so," said Williams. "He's been a bright spot for the league as a player and a coach for a long, long time. Specifically glioblastoma.