who invented the triangle offense

The triangle offense was first created by college coach Sam Barry at the University of Southern California, and later refined and popularized by Tex Winter, who turned it into the modern system most people recognize today.

Quick Scoop

• Original inventor: Sam Barry, Hall of Fame coach at USC, who laid down the basic ideas of spacing, cutting, and the sideline‑triangle structure in the early–mid 20th century.

• Master architect: Tex Winter, one of Barry’s former players, who studied Barry’s concepts, systematized them in his “triple‑post” / “triangular sideline” offense, and is often credited with inventing the modern triangle offense.

• Made famous by: Phil Jackson, who used Winter’s triangle with the Chicago Bulls (Jordan–Pippen era) and Los Angeles Lakers (Kobe–Shaq and later Kobe–Gasol), winning multiple NBA titles and turning the system into a global talking point.

So who “invented” it?

If you’re being precise, Sam Barry originated the triangle offense concepts, while Tex Winter developed and perfected them into the detailed offense that dominated the NBA in the 1990s and 2000s.

In casual basketball talk, many people say Tex Winter “invented” the triangle because his version is the one coaches study and teams actually ran at the highest levels—but historically, the roots go back to Sam Barry at USC.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.