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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.
In real life, Westhead is known for his coaching exploits with the Lakers, but in the series, he is seen as a mild-mannered man with a high school teaching background.
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.
This article contains major spoilers.
Who is Paul Westhead in real life?
In the sixth episode of Winning Time, titled Memento Mori, Jack McKinney's bike accident put him in a coma. With a challenging game against the Denver Nuggets on the horizon, Jerry Buss threw the club over to Paul Westhead, McKinney's assistant. Westhead, after abandoning his mild-mannered demeanor, took command of the team and led them in against Denver.
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. He frequently mentions Shakespeare and makes various references to the legendary playwright, which earned him the nickname 'The Professor'.
Paul Westhead has a Master's degree in English literature and aspires to be like his hero, Jack Ramsay. While serving as Chairman of the Education Department at St. Joseph's College in Philadelphia, the latter coached Westhead.
Westhead coached the men's basketball team at the university while teaching in the English department for over a decade, before joining McKinney as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979.
Paul Westhead's career as a coach
In reality, Paul Westhead began teaching basketball at Cheltenham High School in Philadelphia, in 1968. Before transferring to La Salle University in 1970, he guided the team to a state championship final.
Ramsay encouraged Westhead to pursue a career in teaching, and he went on to win the NBA Championship with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977. Westhead's career path parallels Ramsay's since he won the NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in his first season as Head Coach.
Westhead, on the other hand, was sacked as the LA Lakers' head coach early in his third season. He returned to collegiate coaching after a brief stint with the Chicago Bulls. In 1985, he began working at Loyola Marymount as a coach and English teacher.
Before joining Loyola Marymount, he worked as an English teacher at Marymount Palos Verdes College for a short time. Westhead's inspirational real-life tale is incredible, as he achieved success as a teacher and a professional coach at the same time.
What to expect from Winning Time Episode 7?
On Winning Time season 1 episode 7, we'll see the beginning of one of the most famous basketball rivalries of all time. If one enjoys the sport, there's a strong chance they'll enjoy Magic vs. Bird. The two have been at odds for years and hence, there aren't many battles that compare to them.
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is available exclusively on HBO Max.
