Report: Former Kings coach Paul Westphal diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer
Basketball Hall of Famer and former Kings coach Paul Westphal has reportedly been diagnosed with brain cancer.
New York Daily News columnist Mike Lupica shared the sad news Sunday on Twitter, saying Westphal was recently diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive type of cancer that can occur in the brain or spinal cord.
“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 said. “With his permission, I am letting the basketball world know he has just been diagnosed with brain cancer. Specifically glioblastoma. Please pray for friend, No. 44.”
Westphal, 69, coached the Kings from 2009-2012, compiling a 51-120 record in two-plus seasons. The Kings hired Westphal to replace interim coach Kenny Natt after Reggie Theus was fired during the 2008-09 season.
The Kings went 25-57 in 2009-10, their first season under Westphal. Tyreke Evans was named Rookie of the Year that season. The Kings selected DeMarcus Cousins in the draft the following year, but they continued to struggle, going 24-58 in 2010-11. Westphal was fired after the team went 2-5 to start the 2011-12 season.
Westphal was born in Torrance and played college basketball at USC. The Celtics selected him with the 10th pick in the 1972 NBA Draft. He won a championship with the Celtics in 1974 and led the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals in 1976. He was a five-time All-Star and a four-time All-NBA selection. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019, a class that also included Kings general manager Vlade Divac.
“Westy is one of the absolute greats of our game and a phenomenal human who I am honored to call a friend and fellow Hall of Fame classmate,” Divac said in a statement provided to The Sacramento Bee. “He’s a true basketball genius, distinguished player and coach, and loving father and husband. I was deeply saddened to learn of his diagnosis and on behalf of the Kings organization, our thoughts and prayers are with him and the entire Westphal family.”
Westphal touched on life, death and mortality in a Hall of Fame induction speech that was funny, touching and poignant.
“This Naismith Hall of Fame, it’s for the iconic figures — Wilt (Chamberlain), Elgin (Baylor), (Bill) Russell, (Michael) Jordan, Charles Barkley, people like them who often seem bigger than life — and now it’s for me too,” Westphal said during his induction speech. “I know I’m not larger than life. One person congratulating me for being selected say, ‘Hey, now you’re immortal.’ No, immortality doesn’t come from basketball, and I realize this award is only partially about me.”
Westphal thanked a long list of former coaches and teammates, including Celtics legend John Havlicek and former Suns coach John MacLeod, both of whom had recently died.
“Whatever happens on Earth is only a prelude to eternity,” Westphal said. “In fact my mother thought — she often thought this — that I was acting too big for my britches, and she’d go to one of my games and root for the other team. That really happened a lot. I eventually got the message that real life and our eternal destiny, it’s much more important than basketball.
“Neither of my parents are with us anymore and so many of the people I’ve mentioned, they’re not, so I just have some advice and please take it. Actually, it’s not my advice. It’s my friend Bill Gaither, who said, ‘If there’s someone you need to call, make the call.’”
Westphal enjoyed his greatest coaching success in Phoenix. In 1992-93, his first season as a head coach, Westphal guided the Suns to a 62-20 record. They reached the NBA Finals before losing to the Chicago Bulls. The Suns won 56 games in 1993-94 and 59 games in 1994-95 before losing to the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference finals both years.
Suns coach Monty Williams was visibly upset when asked about Westphal during a Zoom session with reporters Sunday.
“It’s always tough when you hear another brother in our sport get that kind of news,” Williams said. “I’ve gotten to know (Westphal) indirectly through other people and he’s always been really good to me when I’ve been around him.
“… 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. He’s been a bright spot for the league as a player and a coach for a long, long time, and obviously our thoughts and heartfelt prayers are with him and his family.”
This story was originally published August 9, 2020 at 12:53 PM.
