WINTER ZENDERLAND NBA'S VERSION OF ODD COUPLE: WINTER, JACKSON.

Byline: Rich Hammond Staff Writer

There's no intended irony in the seating arrangement on the Lakers' bench, but somehow it seems only fitting the seat behind coach Phil Jackson, the one closest to his right ear, is occupied by assistant Tex Winter.

Winter's role with the team shrank this season and although he now takes a back seat to Jackson during games, the bond between the two men is as strong as ever.

Long before Jackson helped mold the Lakers into a championship-caliber team, Winter helped build Jackson into a championship-caliber coach. Throughout Jackson's successful coaching career, Winter has been there, always in his ear, offering words of wisdom.

Winter popularized the triple-post, or as it's more commonly known, the ``triangle'' offense, that Jackson has used to win eight NBA titles in Chicago and Los Angeles.

Which makes it all the more stupefying, in the Lakers' eyes, that Winter is not a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. He's up for the honor again this year and will find out today whether he has been selected or passed over again.

``I've never been upset about it,'' said Winter, who, even though he has coached for 56 years and previously won 300 games as a college head coach, is nominated as a contributor. ``I've been embarrassed at times, but it's an honor in itself to be nominated, and there are lots of good candidates out there.''

Names such as Magic Johnson, Larry Brown, Lefty Driesell and Lute Olson are nothing to sneeze at, but none of them ever fundamentally changed the way the game is played, the way Winter did with his triangle offense.

Jackson gets the credit for leading the Bulls and Lakers to championships, but Winter has been by his side every step of the way, an unlikely pairing of a self-proclaimed Zen discipline and his no-nonsense, fundamentals-first mentor.

``It's yin and yang,'' Lakers guard Brian Shaw said. ``They're opposites, but they keep each other in balance. They definitely have two different trains of thought, but they keep each other in balance. Tex calls it as he sees it, whether it hurts your feelings or not. He's old school like that. Phil might be a little more politically correct.

``If Phil wants to say something, he'll say it, but sometimes Phil will let things go for a while, and Tex doesn't. If something's wrong, he's going to say it right when it happens. It might be in the heat of the game, when a player is coming off the court and might not want to hear that criticism, but Tex doesn't care, he's going to say it anyway.''

Jackson and Winter became acquainted in 1987, when after five seasons coaching in the CBA, Jackson joined the Bulls' staff as an assistant under Doug Collins. Winter, also an assistant on the staff, ran the summer-league team and took Jackson on as his own assistant, the start of an amazing partnership.

When Jackson succeeded Collins as head coach the next season, he retained Winter and had him essentially in charge of running the offense. The two men clicked, and before long the Bulls' dynasty was under way.

``It is a close and endearing relationship,'' said Lakers assistant Jim Cleamons, who also worked under Jackson in Chicago. ``All of us in the coaching profession should be so fortunate to have someone like Tex Winter as a mentor.

``It's total mutual admiration. We know, as assistant coaches, what our roles are. I've been with P.J. for 10 years now, so we know how to work with each other, and all relationships are give and take.''

And there's plenty of that. Winter and several Lakers players liken it to a big brother-little brother relationship, even though the 80-year-old Winter is more than 20 years Jackson's senior.

``Even though Tex is much older than Phil, they're still like brothers,'' Lakers guard Derek Fisher said. ``They can kid with each other and they can get on each other's case. If you could hear some of the back and forth they have, it's hilarious.''

Winter jokes, ``The younger brother isn't as smart as he thinks he is,'' and, when referring to his coaching staff, Jackson said with a wry grin, ``I think we're pretty much of one mind, except for Tex, but he's never of one mind.''

It might be the odd couple of pro basketball, but it works. Jackson sits back and lets the game happen with a pensive expression, while Winter often yells at the officials for every missed traveling and carrying-over violation.

It's been that way for the better part of 15 years, but this season, it changed. Kurt Rambis replaced Winter as an official Lakers assistant, although Winter made most of the road trips and continues to be a fixture at practices.

Winter realizes it's the natural progression. After all this time, Jackson does things his own way and doesn't need to rely on Winter as much. In one breath, Winter said he thinks this will be his last season, but in the next he amends that to say ``at least on a full-time basis'' and said he hasn't even begun to discuss it with Jackson.

``I'm sure I still make a contribution in ways,'' Winter said, ``but I don't feel like I'm needed, as far as Phil is concerned, as much as I was up until this point.

``The one thing I'm proudest of, and this is sort of self-serving, but I do feel that I've made Phil a better coach, and I think he knows that. I'm not so sure he feels he needs me to the extent he did at one time.

``But we study tape together and often times I comment during the tape, which he wants me to do, and when we go to the court, I see that he takes notice of what I said. It's a subtlety, but it pleases me that he listens to what I say when we watch the tape.''

In his new role, Winter didn't make every road trip, and his health has been a concern. Winter had to be taken to the hospital in New Jersey when he choked while eating a postgame meal and said part of his decision to retire or return would be based on whether he felt healthy and energetic enough to make it through another season.

If Winter leaves, the players agree Jackson won't be the same.

``Without Tex in his ear every waking moment, Phil is different,'' Fisher said. ``He's a little softer, more relaxed. Tex is that one guy who can always jab him right in the side and get him motivated again.

``Phil's a guy who can be really easygoing, just laid back and calm, and Tex is that counter-balance for him that can kind of push him and make his hair more gray. They really make a great pair.''

The Lakers hope Jackson and Winter also can be a pair in the Hall of Fame some day, since Jackson would seem to be a lock, and it's only right, they say, his mentor, a man who has contributed greatly to this budding Lakers dynasty, should be there, too.

``He always has something to offer somebody, especially to myself,'' Shaw said. ``I'm looking down the line at the end of my career, and if I possibly want to go into coaching, that's something I can say. 'Hey, I played under Phil Jackson and Tex Winter.' You can't say two names that are any bigger than that in coaching.''

TEX WINTER FILE

Age: 80

Position: Lakers assistant coach

Coaching: Third with Lakers, 56th at either the pro or collegiate level. First head-coaching job was at Marquette (1952), when at age 28 he became the youngest major-college coach in the country. Also the head coach at Kansas State, Washington, Northwestern and Long Beach State.

Championships: Has two with the Lakers (2000, '01) and six as an assistant with the Chicago Bulls (1991, '92, '93, 96, '97, '98).

No kidding: Played basketball for USC, where he was also one of the nation's top pole vaulters.

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

Lakers assistant coach Tex Winter, right, has been a fixture on basketball courts for the past 56 years.

Kevork Kjansezian/Associated Press

Box:

TEX WINTER FILE (see text)