Winter observes summer league

Tex Winter serves as a consultant to Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson.

Winter is at the NBA Summer League; Jackson is not bothering with it.

Winter sat behind the bench today and watched the Lakers’ 81-73 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at Cox Pavilion.

“I don’t do too much,” the 86-year-old Winter said. “I observe the players and make notes on who can play and who can’t play.”

Coby Karl played well for the Lakers, scoring a game-high 18 points. Karl is the son of Denver Nuggets coach George Karl, who once lobbied for the UNLV job that went to Lon Kruger.

Winter is the innovator of the triangle offense, which he taught to Michael Jordan when Winter was a Chicago Bulls assistant to Jackson. The Bulls won six titles in the 1990s.

Winter followed Jackson to the Lakers, and they collected three more championships in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

Winter also has a lifetime achievement award from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

WINTER LIKES WHITE — Former UNLV star Wendell White is not on the Lakers’ summer league roster. But that might not be a career-threatening exclusion for White, who played last season for the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League.

“I like him, too,” Winter said of White. “But we didn’t bring any of the D-League guys, I don’t think. We’ve seen those guys play.”