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Westphal diagnosed with brain cancer
8/10/2020 9:45:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
Basketball Hall of Famer led GCU to national championship
The Grand Canyon family and the basketball world are wishing Paul Westphal and his family well after the former Lopes men's basketball head coach was diagnosed recently with brain cancer.
Westphal, 69, allowed friend and New York Daily News columnist Mike Lupica to share the heartbreaking news, which comes almost one year after the Phoenix Suns legend was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Westphal coached Grand Canyon to a 63-18 record over the 1986-87 and 1987-88 seasons and led the Lopes to the 1988 NAIA national championship with a team that averaged 95.2 points per game.
"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 his Twitter account. "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."
The Mayo Clinic describes glioblastoma as an aggressive form of cancer that "can be very difficult to treat and a cure is often not possible."
Westphal also was a head coach for the Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics, Sacramento Kings and Pepperdine. After his championship season at Grand Canyon, Westphal joined the Suns as an assistant coach in 1988 and became a rookie NBA head coach who guided the Suns' 1993 NBA Finals run. He also had played in a NBA Finals for the Suns in 1976 and won a NBA championship with Boston in 1974.
Westphal was a five-time NBA All-Star who was honored three times on the All-NBA first team during a 12-year playing career. He was a NBA head coach for all or part of 10 seasons, as well as an assistant coach for seven more. He retired after working as an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets' 2015-16 season, when he sat alongside longtime friend and head coach Lionel Hollins.
Westphal recently was a guest on the Lopes Insider Podcast, reflecting on his time with the Lopes as "a phenomenal thing to be a part of." He has attended games at GCU Arena in recent seasons and was a part of the Jerry Colangelo Museum opening on campus in 2017.
"I just viewed myself as someone who got to be part of the competition for a long time," Westphal told GCULopes.com last year before his Hall of Fame induction. "It's fantastic to enjoy this kind of honor because if it wasn't for Phoenix, none of it would've ever happened."
Westphal, 69, allowed friend and New York Daily News columnist Mike Lupica to share the heartbreaking news, which comes almost one year after the Phoenix Suns legend was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Westphal coached Grand Canyon to a 63-18 record over the 1986-87 and 1987-88 seasons and led the Lopes to the 1988 NAIA national championship with a team that averaged 95.2 points per game."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 his Twitter account. "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."
The Mayo Clinic describes glioblastoma as an aggressive form of cancer that "can be very difficult to treat and a cure is often not possible."
Westphal also was a head coach for the Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics, Sacramento Kings and Pepperdine. After his championship season at Grand Canyon, Westphal joined the Suns as an assistant coach in 1988 and became a rookie NBA head coach who guided the Suns' 1993 NBA Finals run. He also had played in a NBA Finals for the Suns in 1976 and won a NBA championship with Boston in 1974.
Westphal was a five-time NBA All-Star who was honored three times on the All-NBA first team during a 12-year playing career. He was a NBA head coach for all or part of 10 seasons, as well as an assistant coach for seven more. He retired after working as an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets' 2015-16 season, when he sat alongside longtime friend and head coach Lionel Hollins.
Westphal recently was a guest on the Lopes Insider Podcast, reflecting on his time with the Lopes as "a phenomenal thing to be a part of." He has attended games at GCU Arena in recent seasons and was a part of the Jerry Colangelo Museum opening on campus in 2017.
"I just viewed myself as someone who got to be part of the competition for a long time," Westphal told GCULopes.com last year before his Hall of Fame induction. "It's fantastic to enjoy this kind of honor because if it wasn't for Phoenix, none of it would've ever happened."
Keeping Westy and his family in our prayers during this time. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/3Uakja6Dnm
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) August 9, 2020
Paul Westphal is a man of faith, a great husband and father and someone who has always been a truth teller and a truth seeker. He also happened to be a basketball genius as a player and a coach. I can't think of worse news than this. Say a prayer for Westy. https://t.co/Z6O4NXgl2W
— Bob Young (@BobYoungTHI) August 9, 2020
I'm so saddened to hear this news about Paul. I know how close you have been to him, Mike. God bless Paul, Cindy and the whole Westphal family❤️🙏🏼 https://t.co/bxBlZ96b4O
— Danny Ainge (@danielrainge) August 9, 2020
All the best to one of the game's very best, USC and NBA legend Paul Westphal. Such sad news. https://t.co/9hci47dXKw
— Jay Bilas (@JayBilas) August 10, 2020
My dad, Paul Westphal, was recently diagnosed with brain cancer. While we are devastated by this news we know that God is in control. Please keep him in prayer and that God will be glorified through this.
— Michael Westphal (@CoachMWestphal) August 10, 2020
Westy was a Hall of Fame @Suns player and coach, and he's an even better person off the court. I'm keeping him and his family in my prayers. https://t.co/kCXw8hWZki
— Greg Stanton (@gregstantonaz) August 10, 2020
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