Or write about sports? Paul Westhead may be best known for his innovative style of basketball that earned both an NBA and WNBA championship, first with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1980 and later with the Phoenix Mercury in 2007. In February 1980, Paul Westhead was admitted to the hospital due to kidney stones, which required surgery to be removed. Under the direction of former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Paul And now that two bankers have flown down to Los Angeles to collect, Buss and business partner Frank Mariani put their penniless plot into motion. They go rebound if its a miss. The next day, Westhead gathers his players for the first time at McKinneys hospital waiting room. WebNovember 8, 1979: Appointed Interim Head Coach by the Los Angeles Lakers. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. The team beat Denver Nuggets by four points during overtime with a final scoreline of 126122. November 19, 1981: Fired as Head Coach by the Los Angeles Lakers. He immediately tries to give the job to Pat Riley. Meanwhile, Magic Johnson meets with representatives of numerous shoe brands who wish to sign him as their flagship basketball player. The team would go on to have a flying start under Westhead as the interim Head Coach led the LA Lakers to five wins in his first six games. However, he must decide whether to start Haywood or Cooper to mark Denvers star player. Basketball coach who led the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA Championship in 1980. Westhead, now retired from coaching, reflects on how his career as a teacher helped him on the court. Here's everything you need to know about the basketball coach's time as a high school teacher before he became famous with the Lakers. He goes back and forth between Michael Cooper and Spencer Haywood for the starting spot before settling on the younger Michael Cooper. Nonetheless, given the Lakers spectacular start to life under McKinney, questions are raised over the teams ability to succeed without their genius coach. In reality, the LA Lakers did win their first game under Paul Westhead. Magic Johnson was also a rookie when the Lakers went to the finals under Westheads rookie coaching season. Please check back soon for updates. Discover what happened on this day. Winning Time: Was Kobe Bryant At The Lakers' 1979 Opening Game? If I was just another fast break coach, I might be still coaching the Lakers or the Bulls or somebody. As Magic leaves the athletic-shoe convention, hes flagged down by Phil Knight, the co-founder of Nike, who has a deal thats as cutting-edge as the brands shoes. The showexplains that McKinney was in a coma for two weeks after the accident. In basketball, run and gun is a fast, freewheeling style of play that features a high number of field goal attempts, resulting in high-scoring games. June 23, 1982: . Find out more. Magic Johnson's shoe deal gets a lot of attention inWinning Time episode 6, and the series does stick fairly close to the true story based on what is known. Theres no record of the press conference Westhead had before his first game. On Winning Time season 1 episode 7, we'll see the beginning of one of the most famous basketball rivalries of all time. Are There Any Real Basketball Players in Winning Time. AlthoughConverse proved to still be a good partner for Magic, he lost out onan incredible amount of money - $5.2 Billion according toWinning Time episode 6 - but the true evaluation of what he missed out on is not actually known. Various characters remark on Paul Westhead's past as an English teacher at a local high school as he tries to acclimatize to the reality of the situation. Westhead, on the other hand, was sacked as the LA Lakers' head coach early in his third season. WebPaul Westhead coached the Loyola Marymount men's team in the late 1980s using a version of the run and gun. In February 1980, Paul Westhead was admitted to the hospital due to kidney stones, which required surgery to be removed. Basketball coach who led the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA Championship in 1980. Still, his teams sometimes appeared to give up baskets in order to score one. A couple of episodes ago, Dr. Buss sold the Lakers (in name only) to his ex-wife as part of a scheme to avoid paying a lousy loan that, unbeknownst to him, came with the team. Related:Winning Time Sets Up The Epic 1980s Lakers/Celtics Rivalry. November 19, 1981: Fired as Head Coach by the Los Angeles Lakers. Do you have a blog? Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: As part of your account, youll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime. The next day, Westhead gathers his players for the first time at McKinneys hospital waiting room. Westhead grew up in Philadelphia, studied and taught Shakespearean literature and began coaching the La Salle University Mens Basketball team in 1970. Coaching Record Table; Season School Conf G W L W-L% SRS SOS AP Pre AP High June 23, 1982: November 8, 1979: Appointed Interim Head Coach by the Los Angeles Lakers. The players all stumbled to the locker room and Kareem came over, put his arm around me and he said, Paul. Thus, McKinneys assistant, Paul Westhead, is thrust into the limelight and is forced to take charge of the team. (The Guru of Go), Born: February 21, 1939 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, High School: Busy Phillips Is Not Like a Regular Mom, Shes a Cool Mom, Theres nothing wrong with Busy Phillips being cast as Mrs. George in the upcoming, In Search of Tom and Katies Bubba Painting, Maybe punting on the larger plot can be forgiven if we get a sweet. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Listen to the full Legends Of Sport podcast. In reality, Paul Westhead began teaching basketball at Cheltenham High School in Philadelphia, in 1968. Despite these successes, Westheads up-tempo speed game wasnt always well-received. In fact, Jack Nicholson continues to have Los Angeles Lakers season tickets to this day and is frequently seen at home games for the team. By the end of the deal, Converse was reportedly paying Magic $2M per year for endorsements. Moreover, the team maintained a solid home record in the league as they lost just twice in their 14 matches at The Forum between November 1979 to December 1979, with Westhead as the head coach. The next day, Westhead gathers his players for the first time at McKinneys hospital waiting room. Paul deserves a spot in Springfield for his contribution to the game. Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. The Lakers come together and resolve to win the game to honor their injured coach. During Jack McKinneys thirteen games as the Lakers head coach, the team only lost three times. However, the episode ends without revealing the outcome of the game. There is no confirmed exchange like this between Nicholson and Buss. Tournament Champion; NCAA Tournament. In reality, Paul Westhead began teaching basketball at Cheltenham High School in Philadelphia, in 1968. Nonetheless, the team soon returned to winning ways in December and won eight out of their first ten games in the month. The teams morale also takes a hit when they learn of McKinneys accident. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Buss and Jerry West (Jason Clarke) still throw him into the proverbial fire out of necessity, and Westhead winds up getting some helpful advice from Pat Riley (Adrien Brody). [2][4] A run-and-gun team typically allows many points on defense as well. Paul Westheads birth sign is Pisces and he has a ruling planet of Neptune. Related:Winning Time: Every Coach The Lakers Considered After Jerry West Quit. I wanted to, once and for all, put in print what this style was and what it did to me. He didnt call me coach, he called me Paul., Kareem was an interesting take because he wasnt built to be a fast break player. Throughout the episode, Westhead attempts to match McKinneys genius and tries to figure out a strategy for the game against Denver. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 6:01AM. Before transferring to La Salle University in 1970, he guided the team to a state championship final. Outside of the tragic event that shaped the Los Angeles Lakers' unfortunate predicament,Winning Time episode 6 also follows Earvin 'Magic' Johnson as he begins to enter the world of endorsements. A good portion of the episode focuses on Jack McKinney's injuries and Paul Westhead (Jason Segel) becoming the interim coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. JUMP TO: Paul Westheads biography, facts, family, personal life, zodiac, videos, net worth, and popularity. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. The true story change is likely due to the show continuing toalter the financial struggles that Jerry Buss went through during the early days of his tenure as Lakers owner. Westhead managed to steer his side to victory in his first game as in charge of the Lakers, winning in the overtime with a final score of 126122. People born under this sign are popular because they're sincere and avoid conflict. The aim is to shoot before the defense is able to get set. If one enjoys the sport, there's a strong chance they'll enjoy Magic vs. Bird. Unlike the Los Angeles Lakers guard, though, Larry Bird stayed with Converse. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Instead, the scene shifts to the hospital, where McKinney wakes up and is informed by Westhead that the Lakers have already played against Denver. Even 30 years after his untimely death, the story of Hank Gathers remains one of the most heartbreaking stories in sports history. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Paul Westhead stuck with the team's usual starting lineup of Magic Johnson, Norm Nixon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jim Chones, and Jamaal Wilkes. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. Breaking the Fourth-Wall-Expository Revelation of the Episode:When Magic signs his shoe deal, a Converse exec tells him that he wont regret it. The doctor on crutches isBob Kerlan, the most influential doctor in sports-medicine history. The 1930s were called the Great Depression (1929-1939). But as a cocky Buss struts away, Claire Rothman shows up with a ~concerning, extreme~ problem: The latest shipment of stadium food never arrived because the accountant, Busss elderly mother, Jessie, wrote bad checks. Paul Westhead, McKinney's assistant, has been thrown into the forefront of an almost Shakespearean tragedy in HBO's Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, after an unfortunate incident involving Head Coach Jack McKinney. After winning two and losing two of their next four games, the Lakers finished December strongly with three straight wins, including a 123105 thrashing of archrivals Boston Celtics. 1 seed and a first-round bye. However, he does not have much cash to offer. ), NCAA Tournament: 5 Years (4-5), 0 Final Fours, 0 Championships, More Paul Westhead pages at Sports Reference. Paul Westhead has written a book called The Speed Game: My Fast Times in Basketball, and it not only describes the way he wanted his teams to play, but also his career. Paul Westhead coaching career According to Basketball-Reference, Westhead led the Lakers to a 50-18 record after taking over for McKinney, good for the West's No. Back the early 2,000 B.C. September 7, 1990: Hired as Head Coach by the Denver Nuggets. We've added shooting handedness for all players in WNBA history to player pages! In reality, Paul Westhead began teaching basketball at Cheltenham High School in Philadelphia, in 1968. In February 1980, Paul Westhead was admitted to the hospital due to kidney stones, which required surgery to be removed. Kristen Bell to Befriend an Unorthodox Rabbi. Did Cirie go too far by bringing family matters into the game? Things you buy through our links may earnNew Yorka commission. June 23, 1982: Read More:Are There Any Real Basketball Players in Winning Time? In 1980, Westhead won his first championship when the Lakers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2. Paul Westhead was teaching high school in his native Philadelphia when he was named La Salle Universitys mens basketball coach in 1970. WebIn his first year as an NBA head coach, he led a rookie Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers to the 1980 NBA Finals, which they won in six games for the team's first title in eight years. Converse stated they spent upwards of $35 million for marketing and paying Magic by that point. The former English teacher with a great knowledge of Shakespeare and other literature seems out of place as the face of the Lakers at this time, especially as he doesn't have full confidence in his ability to replace McKinney. At that time, I was smart enough to realize that I wasnt ever going to run lines again. Coaching Record. Jack Nicholson is a huge Los Angeles Lakers fan and reports state that he had season tickets long before Buss took over the team. He returned to collegiate coaching after a brief stint with the Chicago Bulls. However, cell phones didnt exist in 1980, so Dr. Jerry Buss is all smiles as he hosts a business lunch at the Beverly Hills Hilton. Paul Westhead has been a basketball coach and offensive innovator with forty-plus years of experience at all levels. The procedure and recovery left him unable to coach the Lakers for a brief period of time. [3], Coach Doug Moe, who ran the run and gun with the Denver Nuggets in the 1980s, believed the high scores surrendered were more indicative of the fast pace of the game than a low level of defense. She sends flowers to McKinneys hospital on Magics behalf without asking him. I won with the Lakers and we were flying high, I thought, this is going to be fun. Paul Westheads age is 83. If you are wondering whether the Lakers really had a losing streak during Westheads early days in charge of the team, here is everything you need to know! Due to kidney stones, which required surgery to be removed he must decide paul westhead first game! 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