Duke great JJ Redick stirred things up a while back when he said guys like Boston Celtic Bob Cousy were “plumbers and firemen” in the off-season and couldn’t play in today’s NBA.
He had a point to an extent: although Cousy had phenomenal court vision, he was small by today’s standards, and if you watch any video at all, you’ll realize quickly that, like just about everyone else in his era, Cousy’s off-hand was very weak when it came to ball handling.
Cousy retired in 1963. In 1972, just 10 years later, the Celtics drafted Paul Westphal out of Southern Cal, and his skill set was entirely different.
Cousy said he learned to pass like a prodigy out of necessity, but he never developed his off-hand. In fairness, in the 1950s and ‘60s, he didn’t really need to.
Westphal, by contrast, was probably the greatest ambidextrous talent at that point in basketball history, and remains one of the finest to this day.
Westphal could basically do whatever he wanted on a basketball court. He was offensively brilliant, and his defense was good, too.
In 1975, the Celtics traded him to Phoenix, and he led the Suns to the NBA Finals against his old team, losing 4-2. Game 5, however, was extraordinary, going to triple overtime before the Celtics prevailed, 128-126.
Westphal had many career highlights, as you’ll see, but his greatest play ever may have been this stunner from the third overtime in that triple OT classic loss to Boston. It’s hard to believe anyone could take a shot like that, under that kind of pressure, much less hit it.
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