Brian Winters

Brian Joseph Winters, born March 1, 1952, is an American former basketball player and coach. He attended Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens, New York, graduating in 1970, then played collegiately at the University of South Carolina, where he scored 1,079 points over his career despite being hampered by a severe case of mononucleosis and a series of knee injuries. Winters was selected 12th overall in the 1974 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he earned a place on the NBA All-Rookie Team. He was subsequently traded to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the deal that sent center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers at Abdul-Jabbar's request. On April 18, 1976, in the first playoff series of his career, Winters scored 33 points and recorded 5 assists in a 107–104 Game 3 loss to the Detroit Pistons. On November 30, 1976, he scored a career-high 43 points in a 115–106 win over the Trail Blazers. The following season, on December 16, 1977, Winters scored 24 points and made a game-winning jump shot in a 152–150 triple-overtime victory over the New York Knicks.