Brian Winters

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Winters' best years came from 1975–76 to 1979–80, when he averaged 18.7 points, 4.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game. On November 30, 1976, he scored a career-high 43 points in a 115–106 victory over the Trailblazers. The following season, on December 16, 1977, Winters scored 24 points and made a game-winning jumpshot during a 152–150 triple overtime win against the New York Knicks. On March 19, 1978, he scored 22 points and recorded a career-high 18 assists in a 117–106 victory against the Washington Bullets. In the first playoff series of his NBA career, on April 18, 1976, Winters scored 33 points and recorded 5 assists in a 107–104 Game 3 loss against the Detroit Pistons. His game declined in the 1982–83 season, when he shot a career-worst 43 percent from the field, after which he retired at 31 years of age.

In Their Own Story

In a 2005 interview, Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan singled out Winters as the best 'pure shooter' in history, claiming that 'he had the most beautiful stroke of all the people whom [he could] think of.' Winters averaged 16.2 points and 4.1 assists over his career, with two appearances in the NBA All-Star Game and six playoff appearances. After retiring from the NBA, he became an assistant coach for two years under legendary coach Pete Carril at Princeton, then an assistant under Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens with the Cleveland Cavaliers for 7 years and Atlanta Hawks for two more. He was the inaugural head coach for the Vancouver Grizzlies for a year and a half, later coached with the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors, and was head coach of the WNBA's Indiana Fever, leading them to their first ever consecutive-year playoff appearances. He compiled a 78–58 regular season record with a 5–7 playoff record before his option wasn't picked up on October 26, 2007. He was a scout for the Indiana Pacers for several seasons until he was let go during the NBA lockout in August 2011, spent the 2012–13 season as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Bobcats, and has been a talent scout for the Indiana Pacers since 2014, playing a role in convincing the Pacers to draft Myles Turner.

Reader's Guide

Winters attended academic and athletic powerhouse Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens, New York, graduating in 1970. He played collegiately with the University of South Carolina, scoring 1,079 points over his career, though he was hampered by both a severe case of mononucleosis and a series of knee injuries. He was the 12th pick in the 1974 NBA draft, taken by the Los Angeles Lakers. As a player, his defining skill was his shooting stroke, earning praise from Michael Jordan as the best pure shooter. His career numbers—16.2 points and 4.1 assists per game—underscore his consistent production. After playing, he transitioned into coaching and scouting, working under Pete Carril, Lenny Wilkens, and with multiple NBA and WNBA teams. His most recent role has been as a talent scout for the Indiana Pacers since 2014.

Did You Know?

• Brian Winters was the 12th pick in the 1974 NBA draft, taken by the Los Angeles Lakers.
• He scored a career-high 43 points in a 115–106 victory over the Trailblazers on November 30, 1976.
• Michael Jordan called Winters the best 'pure shooter' in history, saying he had 'the most beautiful stroke.'
• Winters' number 32 was retired by the Milwaukee Bucks on October 28, 1983, making him the third player in franchise history to receive that honor.
• He played a role in convincing the Indiana Pacers to draft Myles Turner.