Tex Winter
Tex Winter was a highly-respected figure in the basketball world. In this picture, Winter is at a basketball training camp for New Zealand players at Youth town, Aug 1, 2001. Michael Bradley/Getty Images

Former Chicago Bulls assistant coach Fred "Tex" Winter died Wednesday in Manhattan, New York. He was 96.

Born in 1922 near Wellington, Texas, Winter started as an assistant coach at Kansas State in 1947 before becoming the youngest coach in major college basketball at 30 when he joined Marquette. He would then return to Kansas State as their head coach where he led the side to two Final Four appearances during a 15-year tenure.

He would then make the transition to the NBA in 1971 where he was the head coach of the Houston Rockets for two years. He would return to college basketball as a head coach before becoming the assistant coach of the Bulls under head coach Phil Jackson in 1985.

It was there that he deployed his famed triple-post offense system, which he had earlier published in a book in 1961, to devastating effect as it contributed to the Michael Jordan-led Bulls winning two threepeats from 1991 to 1993 and 1996 to 1998.

"Tex Winter was a basketball legend and perhaps the finest fundamental teacher in the history of our game," Chicago Bulls Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson said in a statement. "He was an innovator who had high standards for how basketball should be played and approached everyday."

"Those of us who were lucky enough to play for him will always respect his devotion to the game of basketball. His contributions to the Bulls organization will always be remembered," he added.

Winter would follow Jackson to the Lakers in 1999 where his triple-post offense system again reaped rewards, as the Los Angeles franchise would win their own threepeat from 2000 to 2002 during the days of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. He retired in 2008.

A graduate of the University of Southern California, Winter was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, while he was also awarded the John Bunn Award for lifetime achievement before being elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.

A legend of the game, many from the basketball community including Jordan, Bryant, Scottie Pippen and more all mourned Winter's death.

RELATED STORIES
NBA