Pro Basketball HoFer Paul Westphal, best remembered as a star player for the Phoenix Suns, died on 1/2 at age 70 due to brain cancer.

Over 12 seasons in the NBA, Westphal had two tours of duty with the Suns (1975-80 and again in 1983-84, his final year as an active player.) His rookie season was in 1972-73 with the Celtics, spending 3 season in Boston Garden and winning his only NBA championship as a player there. He spent 1 season with Seattle and the two after that with the Knicks between his two stints with Phoenix. He wore jersey #44 for his entire NBA playing career.

Over his playing career, he was an All-Star 5 times, and a member of the all-NBA team 4 times.

After his playing career, he spent roughly 2 decades as an NBA coach, with head coach gigs with the Suns, the Sonics and the Kings. His first season as a head coach was also his most successful. That was 1992-93, when he coached the Suns to the Western Conference Championship before being beaten by the Bulls in the NBA Finals.

Dave Miedema