Before Sunday afternoon's loss to Denver at Staples, Phil Jackson spoke at length on the news Tex Winter, pioneer of the triangle offense and longtime assistant coach and mentor, will be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.While Jackson was clearly pleased by the news, there was also a great deal of anger and frustration in the length of time it took for the honor to come. Winter, born in February of 1922, suffered a stroke in 2009 and reports indicate declining health will prevent him from attending his induction ceremony. elow is the full exchange between reporters and Jackson. It's an interesting and revealing read, with insight not only to what made Winter such an important figure in the history of the sport, but his role in molding arguably the most successful coach in modern sports. Q: What have you learned from him more than anything else? Jackson: How to develop an offense from skill drills is probably best thing that Tex taught. That basketball starts with being able to learn how to pick up the basketball and pivot. From there, you move into passing, and then the other things that become more complicated. But you have to start from very basic beginning with basketball. Q: You've often described him as a contrarian -- someone who would get in your face and tell you you're wrong. Does anyone else have that relationship with you? Has anyone else told you you're wrong as many times as he has? Jackson: My mother. Q: He's number two, though? Jackson: I'll tell you a story. Red Holzman, when we had a reunion -- I think it was 10 years after the championship [he had as a player with the Knicks in 1973] -- Red brought his wife over and said, "You know, she's the real coach. She tells me how to live my life." That's kind of the way mothers are. They're the ones that tell you what's right and wrong. http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers/
