Philadelphia native Paul Westhead, 83, whose coaching career began at Cheltenham High School, was a big fan of the 76ers — until the moment in 1980 when he got a chance to capture the NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers on enemy turf, writes Christian Red for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“I was a fan of the Sixers and especially Julius Erving,” said Westhead. “But when you’re coaching the other team, you forget about that love real fast.”
Westhead found himself leading the Lakers when the team included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and rookie sensation Magic Johnson, due to a tragic happenstance. He joined the team as an assistant coach to Jack McKinney, another Philadelphian and his longtime friend.
Fourteen games into the season, McKinney suffered a serious head injury that catapulted Westhead into the head coaching position. He then guided the team to the 1980 championship.
Westhead’s friendship and coaching ties with McKinney have been immortalized in the new HBO Max show, Winning Time, a series about the Lakers’ 1980s dynasty.
Read more about Paul Westhead in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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