"I remember looking up, and I said, 'Oh, coach said that?'" - Charles Barkley on Paul Westphal predicting the Suns' iconic comeback in '93

paul-westphal-charles-barkley

Hall of Famer Paul Westphal, who sadly passed away in 2021, once made one of the most memorable guarantees in sports history.

It came after his Phoenix team was on the brink of elimination in the first round of the 1993 NBA playoffs. Despite being down 2-0, 'Westy' confidently assured that the Suns would still "win the series." While some doubted his words, it certainly rallied his team, led by superstar Charles Barkley.

"I remember looking up, and I said, 'Oh, coach said that? Well, we got his back, so that's the way it's going to be,'" Chuck recalled, per nba.com.

A risky guarantee

Reflecting on Westphal's words in the presser, one might think he was either out of his mind or incredibly arrogant. After all, he was just a rookie head coach at the time, on the verge of leading his team to a shocking first-round exit.

"I know what the question is going to be, 'Is your team dead?' Westphal opened the presser. "No, we are going to win the series…and everyone will say what a great series it was."

However, Westy's declaration, delivered coolly and confidently, was actually quite justified in the broader context.

"We had the best record in the league. We led the league in wins", then-Suns owner Jerry Colangelo recalled.

Indeed, the dominant Suns, led by MVP Barkley, had a staggering 62 regular season wins, while the Los Angeles Lakers, their first-round opponents, barely made the playoffs as the eighth seed with just 39 wins. As a result, an upset was nowhere on the radar.

The Suns fed off Paul's guarantee

The belief expressed in Westphal's statement quickly spread throughout the team, as recalled by former players of this historic comeback, including swingman Cedric Ceballos.

"The confidence that we took in the locker room after being down 0-2 was bananas," he remarked. "We just had to get it together…We knew our confidence was there. We had lost games before. This was just a proper introduction to us going on a good winning streak."

Ceballos' teammate and Suns legend Tom Chambers also shared an insight into how beneficial their former coach's statement was.

"It took the pressure off of all of us," said 'Tommy Gun.' "Now, they're just talking about what Westy said, and we loved it. We loved the confidence he had."

With Westy's well-earned trust and a 'now more than ever' attitude, the Suns indeed managed to win all the remaining three games of the series. In achieving this, they became the first NBA team to win an opening-round playoff series after losing the first two games at home.

Although they later fell short to the Chicago Bulls in the 1993 NBA Finals, their comeback remains historic. Westphal's prior statement further elevated this historic moment. Through it, the Hall of Famer brilliantly exemplified that having confidence in your team can truly work wonders.