January 2, 2021 feels a lot like 2020.
Moments after learning that Hall of Fame Running Back, Floyd Little died, news broke out at that Basketball Hall of Famer, Paul Westphal passed away at age 70 after a battle with brain cancer.
Earning two First Team Pac-8 honors at USC, Westphal was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the tenth pick in the 1972 Draft. Westphal helped Boston win the 1974 NBA Championship, but his greatest individual success happened later with the Phoenix Suns, where he was a four-time All-Star and three-time First Team All-NBA Selection. Westphal added a fifth All-Star with Seattle (1981), and he finished his career with New York and a final run with the Suns.
Westphal was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. His number 44 was retired by the Phoenix Suns and number 25 by USC.
After his playing career ended, Westphal became a coach, and at one time was at the helm of the Suns (1992-95), Seattle (1998-2000) and Sacramento (2009-12). His last coaching role in the NBA was as an Assistant for Brooklyn, which ended in 2016.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend condolences to the friends, fans and family of Paul Westphal.
Six names for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame have been revealed byESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowskiand let’s just get right to who they are:
Al Attles: Attles played for the Philadelphia /San Francisco Warriors for over a decade but midway through the 1969/70 Season he would become the Warriors Player/Coach making him one of the first African-American Coaches in the National Basketball Association. He hung up the shoes a year later but was their Head Coach until 1983 where he would take them to the Championship in 1975 and compiled a 588-548 record.
Chuck Cooper: Cooper made history as the first African-American to be drafted in the NBA, which occurred when Boston Celtics chose him with their Second Round Pick (14thOverall) in 1950. Cooper played for Duquesne collegiately and was in the NBA for seven seasons (Boston 1950-54), Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks (1954-56) and Fort Wayne (1956). Cooper faced intense prejudice as he would often have to stay in separate hotels and dine separately from his teammates. Cooper was chosen by the direct-elect Early African-American Pioneers Committee.
Vlade Divac: An NBA All Star in 2001, Vlade Divac had over 13,000 Points over his career and would take Yugoslavia to many championships, most notably a win at the 1990 World Cup. Divac is Serbian and has been known for his humanitarian efforts and he is currently the General Manager of the Sacramento Kings. He was ranked #24 by us on Notinhalloffame.com and he enters via the International Committee.
Bobby Jones: A Second Team All American from North Carolina, Bobby Jones began his pro career with the Denver Nuggets of the ABA in 1974 and would later join the Philadelphia 76ers until he retired in 1986. Jones would go to four All Star Games was named to eight First Team All Defensive squads was the first ever Sixth Man of the Year and in 1983 he helped the Sixers with the NBA Title. Jones was ranked #14 on our latest Notinhalloffame.com list.
Sidney Moncreif: Moncrief was a First Team All-American and SWC Player of the Year in 1979 and in the NBA he was a two time Defensive Player of the Year (1983 & 1984) and was a five time All Star (1982-86). Moncreif played 12 of his 13 seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks and he was ranked #2 on our latest Notinhalloffame.com list.
Paul Westphal: Westphal would help the Boston Celtics win the 1974 NBA Championship and from 1977 to 1981 he was named an All Star with three of those seasons (1977, 1979 & 1980) seeing him named a First Team All Pro while he was with the Phoenix Suns. He was ranked #15 on our last Notinhalloffame.com list.
Wojnarowski also announced that Chris Webber, Ben Wallace and Marques Johnson were not chosen.
For us Webber’s induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame is long overdue and we are guessing that they are wiping out his accomplishments at the University of Michigan due to the booster scandal he was involved in.
Next year is absolutely loaded as Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Chris Bosh and Kevin Garnett are now eligible. We will be updating our Notinhalloffame.com Basketball list next month.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the six men who have been reported to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
As is tradition every NBA All Star Weekend, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announces the Finalists for their impending Hall of Fame Class.
The Finalists are:
Hugh Evans (Referee): Evans officiated nearly 2,000 regular season games and 170 playoff games in the NBA from 1972 to 2001.
Bill Fitch (Coach): Fitch coached in the NBA for 25 seasons and he was named the Coach of the Year in 1976 and 1980. In 1981, he would take the Boston Celtics to the NBA Championship.
Marques Johnson (Player): A five time All Star and First Team All NBA Selection in 1979, Marques Johnson was a champion at UCLA in 1975 and was named the National College Player of the Year in 1977. He is ranked #29on Notinhalloffame.com.
Bobby Jones (Player): Jones was named an All Defensive First Team player eight times (1977 to 1984) and was a member of the Philadelphia 76ers 1983 Championship Team. Collegiately, Jones took the University of North Carolina to a Final Four in 1972. He is ranked #14on Notinhalloffame.com.
Sidney Moncrief (Player):A five time All Star (1982 to 1986), Sidney Moncrief was a two time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1983 & 1984) was also an All-American at the University of Arkansas. He is ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Jack Sikma (Player):Sikma was chosen for seven straight All Star Games (1979 to 1985) and would help the Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA Championship in 1979. He is ranked #3on Notinhalloffame.com.
Eddie Sutton (Coach):Sutton is a four time National Coach of the Year (1977, 1978, 1986 & 1995) and he made history as the first coach to take four different schools to the National Tournament. At present he is seventh all time in wins in the NCAA.
Ben Wallace (Player): Wallace is a four time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2002, 2003, 2005 & 2006) and a four time All Star (2003-06) would help the Detroit Pistons shock the world when they won the NBA Championship in 2004. He is ranked #4on Notinhalloffame.com
Chris Webber (Player): The leader of Michigan’s “Fab Five” would become a five time All Star (1997, 2000, 2001, 2002 & 2003) and a two time First Team All-NBA Selection. He is ranked #1 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Paul Westphal (Player): Westphal would help the Boston Celtics win the NBA Championship in 1974 and would later be chosen for five NBA All Star Games (1977-81) and earned three First Team All NBA Selections (1977, 1979 & 1980). He is ranked #15 on Notinhalloffame.com.
The Women’s Committee Finalists are:
Leta Andrews (Coach): Andrews coached high school basketball for over 50 years and would win multiple championships at that level.
Barbara Stevens (Coach): Stevens is a veteran of college coaching for over 40 years and she has been a Division II National Coach of the Year five times and was a National Champion in 2014 with Bentley University.
Teresa Weatherspoon (Player): A five time WNBA All Star (1999-2003), Weatherspoon was also a two time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. She was also a champion in the NCAA (Louisiana Tech 1988) and the Olympics (United States 1988)
The Naismith Class of 2019 will be announced during the Final Four.
With Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Chris Bosh and Kevin Garnett on the horizon this is the year that the former players who are Finalists this year need to get enshrined for fear of a much longer waiting period.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com will certainly be paying close attention to what transpires next at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame!