Winter Leaves Bulls For L.A.

Tex Winter, whose triple-post offense helped Chicago win six NBA championships in eight years, quit Friday as Bulls assistant to join Phil Jackson's staff with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Winter is the third member of Jackson's former staff to be reunited with him. Earlier this month, assistant Frank Hamblen left the Bulls for the Lakers. Jim Cleamons also joined the Lakers this month.

"This is one of the toughest decisions of my life," the 77-year-old Winter said in a statement released by the Bulls. But Winter said he only wants to coach one more year and the talented Lakers are considered a contender for the NBA title.

"I'll be joining an extremely talented team with a great chance to win a championship very soon," he said.

Winter, whose 53 years in coaching is the longest tenure of any coach in basketball history, literally wrote the book ("The Triple-Post Offense" in 1962) on the triangle scheme the Bulls ran during their championship years.

Winter spent 14 years with Chicago.

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