On this day in Boston Celtics history, former Celtic Hall of Fame guard Paul Westphal was picked up by the team tenth overall in the 1972 NBA draft after playing his college ball at USC. Westphal would play for three seasons with Boston, where he would win a championship in 1974 — just his second season in the league.
At the end of the 1974-75 season, Westphal was dealt with a pair of second-round draft picks to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for point guard Charlie Scott. The California native would average 7.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in his time with Boston.
He would pass away in January of 2021 after a long battle with cancer.