By snoadmin
After working together as coach and player for Long Beach State men’s basketball and the Chicago Bulls, Tex Winter and Craig Hodges now work alongside each other as assistant coaches for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Winter began his career at Long Beach in 1978, when he was hired as the head coach for Long Beach State basketball. Winter served for five seasons and then-18-year-old Craig Hodges as his first recruit.
Hodges played with LBSU from ’78 to ’82, and was drafted by the San Diego Clippers in the third round of the 1982 NBA Draft. Hodges also played for the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns.
“We were playing real basketball when Winter was there,” Hodges said about his time at LBSU.
“I enjoyed working with the players; they were special people,” Winter said.
Before Winter, LBSU was a team struggling to put wins on its record. After training and working with Winter, the team was ranked No. 9 in the nation.
“We were beating some of the country’s very best teams,” Winter said.
Hodges remembered being the only team to defeat Fresno State on its home court. Hodges is also known as one of the best 3-point shooters, having competed in the first eight NBA All-Star Three-Point Shootout contests beginning in 1986, and winning the contest three times from 1990 to 1993.
Winter is known as the innovator of the triangle offense, a popular basketball offensive strategy that has been considered – even by Winter himself – to be extremely difficult to learn and master by players. Winter taught the strategy to Hodges and the LBSU team during his time as head coach, and garnered much success.
The triangle offense is now used by many college basketball teams, and Winter brought the strategy with him to his career as an assistant coach for the NBA. As an assistant to Phil Jackson, head coach of the Chicago Bulls and later to the Los Angeles Lakers, Winter has helped utilize the triangle offense to great success. The Chicago Bulls went on to win six NBA championships, and the Los Angeles Lakers would win three.
Winter and Hodges said they are thrilled to be working with each other again, this time as assistant coaches for the Los Angeles Lakers.
“It’s funny,” Hodges said. “You never know what life holds for you, but I am honored to be working with Tex again.”
After working together as coach and player in the Chicago Bulls, the two always kept in touch. “I was thrilled when I heard Phil [Jackson] was taking on Craig as an assistant coach,” Winter said.
For the Lakers, Hodges serves as a special assistant coach, working mainly on fine-tuning aspects of shooting technique with the players.
“It’s a great opportunity to be working with some really great players,” Hodges said.
Winter assists Jackson on plays, but works mostly with teaching the triangle offense to the players. He added that he has stayed with the team as a mentor and consultant to Jackson, but said he is looking to retire in the near future. This is Winter’s 62nd year as a basketball coach.
Players have an appreciation for the contributions of the two basketball greats.
“These guys are great,” Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic said. “Craig has been there since day one and we have a good relationship. Tex – what else can I say?”
Lakers center Pau Gasol said Winter and Hodges are an amazing part of the Lakers.
“It’s great to be working with guys who are so knowledgeable in the game,” Gasol said.
With the Lakers experiencing much success in postseason playoffs, Winter and Hodges said they are hopeful the team will stay healthy and continue on to the NBA Finals.
