Hall of Famer Westphal has brain cancer

Hall of Famer Paul Westphal, the legendary basketball player from Aviation High in Redondo who became an All-American at USC, has been diagnosed with brain cancer, it was announced Sunday by friend Mike Lupica.

Lupica, an author and former newspaper columnist, said in a tweet that Westphal has glioblastoma, a rapidly growing tumor in the brain. “Please pray for friend, No. 44,” Lupica said in the tweet.

Westphal, 69, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last year. He was part of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2018 class.

As a pro, Westphal joined a dynasty after being drafted in the first round by the Boston Celtics in 1972. He won a title in his second year and emerged as a key reserve in his third season before he was traded to Phoenix for future Hall of Famer Charlie Scott.

With the Suns, Westphal became a star, making three All-NBA first teams and four All-Star games. He was later traded for another future Hall of Famer, Dennis Johnson, and had another All-Star year with the Seattle Supersonics. After his playing days, he coached Phoenix to the NBA Finals.

Westphal surprised some when he chose USC over UCLA, which had won four of the last five NCAA titles when it was time for him to make a college choice.

“There was no reason to leave Los Angeles,” he said last summer in an interview before his Hall of Fame induction. “I guess the bottom line was that I felt if we could win at ’SC, it’d be a bigger deal than winning at UCLA — because UCLA was always winning.”