Former USC Player Paul Westphal Diagnosed With Brain Cancer
Paul Westphal, one of the greatest basketball players in USC history, has been diagnosed with brain cancer, according to his friend, New York Daily News sports columnist Mike Lupica.
Lupica tweeted the following statement today:
Westphal was on the 1971 USC men’s basketball team that went 24-2 record and was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation. He was a first-team All-American the following season.
Westphal averaged 16.9 points a game in his USC career with a high of 20.3 in 1972.
After USC, Westphal won an NBA title with the Boston Celtics in 1974. Westphal was sixth in the NBA in scoring in 1977–78 season at 25.2 points per game.
He was an NBA all-star five times and first-team NBA selection during his career. He was the head coach of the Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics and Sacramento Kings.
In 2019, Westphal was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
