VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 19 -- Brian Winters, who has spent the last nine seasons as an NBA assistant coach, finally got a shot at a top job Monday when he was named the first head coach of the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies. The 43-year-old Winters spent the last two seasons as an assistant with the Atlanta Hawks and seven years with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He served each of the nine years under Lenny Wilkens, the winningest coach in NBA history. 'I'm looking forward to the challenge of shaping an NBA franchise in a brand-new market,' Winters said. 'My staff and I will work hard to teach and develop skilled, young players who will work hard every night. ' Winters was part of four teams with 50 or more victories and his clubs advanced to the NBA playoffs seven times. Winters was the 12th pick in the 1974 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers out of South Carolina. He was part of one of the biggest trades in NBA history when he went to Milwaukee as part of the deal that sent Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Los Angeles. Winters played eight seasons for the Bucks before retiring in September, 1983. He was an All-Star in 1976 and 1978 and his No. 32 was retired by the Bucks. Winters, a native of Queens, N.Y., was hired just five days before the NBA holds its expansion draft. The other expansion team, the Toronto Raptors, hired Brendan Malone as head coach June 2.
