Paul Westphal inducted to the GAH Hall of Fame
Mar 6, 2016 8:40:32 GMT
Post by mgtr81 on Mar 6, 2016 8:40:32 GMT
The Golden Age Hoops has made public the first player to be inducted to the Hall of Fame: Paul Westphal.
Westphal, who played in the GAH from the inaugural season (1976-77) until the 1988-89 season, when he retired at age 39, won three championships (1978, 1982, 1983), two MVP awards (1977, 1978), was nominated three times for the All-GAH first team (1977, 1978, 1981), once for the All-GAH second team (1982), once for the All-GAH third team (1980), once for the All-GAH first defensive team (1982) and played seven time in the All-Star game, six times as a starter (1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984) and once as a reserve (1985). He played in 899 regular season games and 116 playoff games, finishing his pro career with a total of 19,721 points scored, 5,521 assists, 2,535 rebounds, 1,368 steals and 204 blocks.
Westphal started his GAH career in Phoenix, where he led the Suns to two GAH titles. He spent there his first six years in the league. In his first season he won the first GAH MVP awards, after averaging 27.0 points, 7.1 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, and shooting 56.1 % from the field. The Suns won 55 games that year, and prepared for what was going to be their first championship a year later. In that 1977-78 season, Westphal won his second MVP award after averaging 26.7 points, 7.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per contest, converting 55.2 % of his field goal attempts. The Suns won 61 games, tied with the Golden State Warriors for the best record in the league. With a surrounding cast including Alvan Adams, Ron Lee and Rich Kelley, the Suns went on to win the title, defeating in the Finals the New York Knicks in six games. However, the Suns could not defend the title the following season, since Westphal tore his knee tendon in December of 1978. Westphal spent three more seasons in Phoenix, winning his second GAH title in the 1981-82 season. Moving from point guard to shooting guard, Westphal averaged 26.8 points, 4.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game that season, shooting 51.8 % from the field. Sharing the starting lineup with Ron Lee, Dudley Bradley, Sly Williams and Len Elmore and with Alvan Adams as the team's sixth man for the late part of the season, the Suns went on to win a league-best 68 games and won their second GAH title, this time against the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games.
The summer of 1982 was one of changes for Westphal. After, in a surprising decision, the Suns decided to renounce to his Bird rights, the two-time GAH champion moved to Seattle, where he would join Larry Bird, a three-time MVP. Westphal, who was 33 at the time, helped the Supersonics to improve from 47 to 66 wins in one year. Alongside Bird, T.R. Dunn, Robert Parish and Bob McAdoo, Westphal saw himself in the GAH Finals again, although he was not the go-to guy anymore. His averages of 18.8 points, 6.0 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals were second to Bird's numbers. This time the opponent was the Chicago Bulls. After five games, Seattle won its first GAH championship, the third for Westphal, who became the first GAH player to win championships with different teams as a starter. Despite winning a league-best 68 games the following year, the Supersonics could not get past the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Finals.
After not being able to repeat as GAH champions, the Supersonics decided to trade Westphal to the Bulls in the summer of 1984. The then 35-year-old Westphal averaged 19.7 points, 5.9 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals, for a Bulls team that won 45 games and was knocked out in the second round of the playoffs. With the Bulls not playing as expected during the 1985-86 season, Westphal was moved again before the trade deadline, returning to Seattle. However, and despite winning 57 regular season games, the Supersonics could not get past the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs. With age catching up on him, Westphal saw himself moved again to the Bulls the following season after playing the first 18 games for the Supersonics. He then signed with the Boston Celtics for the 1987-88 season, where he came off the bench in all 82 regular season games, to return to Seattle once again in the 1988-89 season, playing 18 games for the Supersonics, before calling it a career, at age 39.
Now, almost three years since he played his last GAH game, Paul Westphal is the first member of the Golden Age Hoops Hall of Fame.
Westphal, who played in the GAH from the inaugural season (1976-77) until the 1988-89 season, when he retired at age 39, won three championships (1978, 1982, 1983), two MVP awards (1977, 1978), was nominated three times for the All-GAH first team (1977, 1978, 1981), once for the All-GAH second team (1982), once for the All-GAH third team (1980), once for the All-GAH first defensive team (1982) and played seven time in the All-Star game, six times as a starter (1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984) and once as a reserve (1985). He played in 899 regular season games and 116 playoff games, finishing his pro career with a total of 19,721 points scored, 5,521 assists, 2,535 rebounds, 1,368 steals and 204 blocks.
Westphal started his GAH career in Phoenix, where he led the Suns to two GAH titles. He spent there his first six years in the league. In his first season he won the first GAH MVP awards, after averaging 27.0 points, 7.1 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, and shooting 56.1 % from the field. The Suns won 55 games that year, and prepared for what was going to be their first championship a year later. In that 1977-78 season, Westphal won his second MVP award after averaging 26.7 points, 7.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per contest, converting 55.2 % of his field goal attempts. The Suns won 61 games, tied with the Golden State Warriors for the best record in the league. With a surrounding cast including Alvan Adams, Ron Lee and Rich Kelley, the Suns went on to win the title, defeating in the Finals the New York Knicks in six games. However, the Suns could not defend the title the following season, since Westphal tore his knee tendon in December of 1978. Westphal spent three more seasons in Phoenix, winning his second GAH title in the 1981-82 season. Moving from point guard to shooting guard, Westphal averaged 26.8 points, 4.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game that season, shooting 51.8 % from the field. Sharing the starting lineup with Ron Lee, Dudley Bradley, Sly Williams and Len Elmore and with Alvan Adams as the team's sixth man for the late part of the season, the Suns went on to win a league-best 68 games and won their second GAH title, this time against the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games.
The summer of 1982 was one of changes for Westphal. After, in a surprising decision, the Suns decided to renounce to his Bird rights, the two-time GAH champion moved to Seattle, where he would join Larry Bird, a three-time MVP. Westphal, who was 33 at the time, helped the Supersonics to improve from 47 to 66 wins in one year. Alongside Bird, T.R. Dunn, Robert Parish and Bob McAdoo, Westphal saw himself in the GAH Finals again, although he was not the go-to guy anymore. His averages of 18.8 points, 6.0 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals were second to Bird's numbers. This time the opponent was the Chicago Bulls. After five games, Seattle won its first GAH championship, the third for Westphal, who became the first GAH player to win championships with different teams as a starter. Despite winning a league-best 68 games the following year, the Supersonics could not get past the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Finals.
After not being able to repeat as GAH champions, the Supersonics decided to trade Westphal to the Bulls in the summer of 1984. The then 35-year-old Westphal averaged 19.7 points, 5.9 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals, for a Bulls team that won 45 games and was knocked out in the second round of the playoffs. With the Bulls not playing as expected during the 1985-86 season, Westphal was moved again before the trade deadline, returning to Seattle. However, and despite winning 57 regular season games, the Supersonics could not get past the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs. With age catching up on him, Westphal saw himself moved again to the Bulls the following season after playing the first 18 games for the Supersonics. He then signed with the Boston Celtics for the 1987-88 season, where he came off the bench in all 82 regular season games, to return to Seattle once again in the 1988-89 season, playing 18 games for the Supersonics, before calling it a career, at age 39.
Now, almost three years since he played his last GAH game, Paul Westphal is the first member of the Golden Age Hoops Hall of Fame.