Paul Westphal

Paul Westphal ( born November 30, 1950 in Torrance, California) is an American former professional players and active head coach in basketball. In both roles Westphal celebrated in North American basketball league NBA during his career a great success: As a player, the Boston Celtics won Westphal with the team in 1974, the championship of the NBA. As head coach, he led the 1993 Phoenix Suns in the playoffs to the NBA title. Westphal was as a player on the position of the Shooting Guards more time NBA All-Star and was four times appointed to select teams in the league. As of 2009, Paul Westphal served as head coach of the Sacramento Kings in the NBA, which released him on January 5, 2012 having regard to the lack of success.

Career as a player

College

Westphal made ​​himself as a player of the Aviation High School a name and became one of the most sought-after college players of his time. Contrary to all expectations, Westphal decided against playing for the then dominant team of UCLA. Instead, he signed with USC. There he was awarded as a player for the team of the USC Trojans twice as an All American. In his third college season, he led the team 1970/71 to a record of 24 wins with only 2 losses. A knee injury ended his fourth and final college season prematurely. 1997 Westphal was appointed as a player still in the "Hall of Fame" at USC. His jersey number 25 in honor Westphal was excluded from the award of future players. In his three full seasons at the College, he scored an average of 16.4 points per game.

NBA

Early years and the NBA Finals 1976

Westphal was in 1972 elected by the Boston Celtics tenth of the NBA Draft. With the team in 1974 won the championship. The following year, he was released to the Phoenix Suns along with the draft rights to a second-round pick of the Celtics in 1975 and 1976, who sent to Boston in return Charlie Scott. Both players met for their new teams in the NBA Finals in 1976 together. Previously Westphal had a classified as an outsider Phoenix Suns team led to a surprise victory over the favored team of the Golden State Warriors, which was led by star player Rick Barry. In the previous regular season 1975/76 Westphal had established with 20.5 points per game and 5.4 assists and 2.6 steals per game as a playful cornerstone of Sun's.

In game five of the finals series Westphal made ​​, in addition to decisive basket Actions in the closing stages of the game, even for a tactical novelty: In just two seconds remaining game time in the already second extension he said on a break, even though his team's state no longer break. The Phoenix Suns have been punished for the offense with a technical foul. The associated free-throw for the opponents turned the Celtics, but the Suns were given instead of a throw under its own basket after a throw-in at the center line. This better positioning Westphal had intended. The surge succeeded and thus, a third extension due. The game lost the Suns ultimately, just as the final series. Westphal's use of the rule loophole led to a change in regulation by the NBA.

All-Star

The late 70s was Westphal as one of the best players in the NBA at his position. He was appointed from 1977 to 1981 five times in a row to the All- Star. During this time he was also honored with a nomination for the All - NBA First Team three times: 1977, 1979 and 1980 was given 1978 appointment to the All- NBA Second Team to book.. In his five years in Phoenix before Westphal joined the Seattle SuperSonics, he led the Suns every year in points per game. His Career, he reached in the 1978 season when he scored 25.2 points per game.

Injury and comeback

Prior to the 1980/81 season Westphal was transferred in exchange for Dennis Johnson to the Seattle SuperSonics. For Seattle, he played only 36 games in a season after he broke a foot. The following season 1981/82 fell for Westphal with a total of only 18 games played due to the same injury almost completely out. However, after two foot operations, he missed the 1982-83 season just two games and started in 59 of 80 fixtures. For his athletic comeback, he was awarded the NBA Comeback Player of the Year Award.

His last season as an active player led Westphal 1983-84 back to the Phoenix Suns. Due to re-injury Westphal graduated only 59 games and was released during the pre-season preparations for the season 1984/85 by the team. In two lawsuits Westphal complained afterwards for payment of his salary for the second year did not fulfill his contract. His annual salary would have been guaranteed for Westphal in the optioned second season of his contract, he would have been used in at least 60 games last year. In the second method claimed Westphal that he has not been at least one game more drawn up by the Suns for purely financial reasons, although his health would have allowed that. So the guarantee clause fell on a salary of 385,000 dollars. The Suns held contrary to that alone sporting reasons have tipped the balance Westphal's non-consideration.

In 823 NBA games Westphal scored a total of 12,809 points, with an average of 15.9 points per game. In addition, he collected 3,591 assists and 1,022 steals. His litter box ratio was over the entire period of his career seen at 50.4 percent.

Career as a coach

College

Westphal's coaching career began in 1985 on college level. In three years he was head coach of two colleges in Phoenix (Arizona ), with whom he reached a total of 84 wins and just 27 defeats. With the team of the Grand Canyon College Westphal won the 1988 championship of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

1988-1996: Phoenix Suns

Westphal was hired in 1988 as assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns. It should be set up by the then head coach Cotton Fitzsimmons for its successor. After four years Westphal Fitzsimmons replaced on 1 July 1992 officially as head coach.

The season 1992/93, joined the Suns with the club record of 62 victories in just 20 defeats from. The committed at the beginning of the season, Charles Barkley was elected at the end of the season most valuable player of the season and led the team on in the play-offs. In the final series against the Chicago Bulls Paul Westphal went as the hitherto most successful rookie coach NBA history, in terms of the ratio victories in the regular season: The Suns had won 75.6 percent of their games and the Pacific Division title. The mark of 62 victories had previously only 1967/68 reached as a rookie coach Bill Russell.

The final series in 1992/93 lost the Suns with two to four games against the Bulls led by Michael Jordan. Westphal was also successful in the next two seasons with the team, in which get at least 55 victories. Thus, Westphal reached in 1995, his third NBA Coach of the Year, the mark of 150 career victories. He needed only for 208 games, only five games more than the record holder in this statistical category, Phil Jackson. Both in 1993 and 1995 Westphal was appointed coach of the national team in the NBA West All-Star Game.

In the NBA seasons in 1994 and 1995, the Suns reached under Westphal, respectively the second round of play-offs. There, the team was defeated but both times in seven games to the Houston Rockets, who later became champions in 1994 and 1995. Beginning of the 1995/96 season was without Westphal due to injury to key player Danny Manning and Kevin Maurice Johnson. Finally, also Barkley and Westphal injured was released in a season record of only 14 wins in 19 defeats. He was followed by his predecessor, Cotton Fitzsimmons, according to head coach items.

1998-2000: Seattle SuperSonics

After Westphal School in Phoenix had worked to graduation of his son as an assistant coach at a high, dedicated him the Seattle SuperSonics as head coach for season 1998 /99. He led the team in the shortened season to a record of 25 wins to 25 losses. In the following season the team reached under Westphal a score of 47-35 and reached the play-offs, where, however, in five games to the Utah Jazz was defeated. At the beginning of his third year coach in Seattle during a game a verbal incident between Westphal and star player Gary Payton occurred. Shortly thereafter dismissed the Seattle SuperSonics Westphal, who had already a few weeks earlier tendered his resignation.

2001-2006: Pepperdine University

At the beginning of the 2001/2002 season took over the post of head coach Westphal at Pepperdine University. In his season, he led the team to a record of 22 wins 9 losses at and participation in the NCAA tournament. It should be Westphals successful season at Pepperdine: In the season 2002/2003, two key team player and injured reached 15 victories in 13 defeats. The next two seasons led to comparable results. After the season 2005/2006 had only 7 wins for Pepperdine after 27 games, Westphal was dismissed on the grounds that the team needs a new development.

2007-2008: Dallas Mavericks

In 2007, Westphal was worked for several television stations as a basketball commentator, but as assistant coach of the Dallas Mavericks under head coach Avery Johnson was then hired. The following year, he moved to the business management of the Mavericks after not calling him the new head coach Rick Carlisle in the coaching staff. His responsibilities in this position included the support of the general manager Don Nelson and scouting.

2009-2012: Sacramento Kings

In the summer of 2009, the Sacramento Kings Westphal presented as the head coach of the team. The Kings had previously achieved in the last season with only 17 wins in 65 defeats. They won the fourth lot in the NBA Draft 2009. Tyreke Evans chose team, which was awarded under Westphal in his first season with the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. With the Kings Westphal reached in the first two years as coach, respectively, only 24 and 25 wins in the regular season. After the team was started in the 2011/2012 season with a record of 2 wins and 5 losses, the team fired Westphal and justified this by saying that the success achieved has lagged behind expectations.

Awards

  • NBA All -Star: 1977-1981
  • All- NBA First Team: 1977, 1979, 1980
  • All- NBA Second Team: 1978
  • NBA Comeback Player of the Year: 1983

Westphal is a member of the "Ring of Honor " of the Phoenix Suns. In this honor ranks only persons are included who had great influence on the development of the team. The Ring of Honor currently has 12 members, in addition to Westphal among other things, the mentor coach Cotton Fitzsimmons. Both were nominated together in 2011 for inclusion in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

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