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LAS VEGAS— Maurice Cheeks, a veteran NBA Head and Assistant Coach as well as an inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, has been honored with the 2025 Tex Winter Assistant Coach Lifetime Impact Award, as announced today by the National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA).
“Mo Cheeks has done it again!” exclaimed Rick Carlisle, Head Coach of the Indiana Pacers and President of the NBCA. “He embodies quiet dignity while making a significant impact. Mo has followed up his Hall of Fame playing career with yet another remarkable accolade. Congratulations to one of basketball’s legends.”
“I’m truly humbled to receive this award and am grateful to the Coaches Association and the Selection Committee members,” Cheeks remarked. “To all the other honorees, I feel fortunate to be recognized among such esteemed coaches.”
Cheeks embarked on his coaching journey in 1993 as an Assistant Coach with the Quad City Thunder in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). He transitioned to the NBA in 1994 as an Assistant Coach for the Philadelphia 76ers, under Head Coach John Lucas. Over the subsequent seven seasons with the 76ers, he worked alongside coaches Lucas, Johnny Davis, and Larry Brown. Cheeks played a vital role in the team’s success as they made three consecutive playoff runs (1999, 2000, and 2001) and reached the NBA Finals in 2001.
The NBCA extends its congratulations to Maurice Cheeks for receiving the 2025 Tex Winter Assistant Coach Lifetime Impact Award!
For the complete press release, click on ‘News’ through the link in our bio.pic.twitter.com/3BWWGQVPTK
— NBA Coaches Assoc. (@NBA_Coaches) July 19, 2025
In 2001, Cheeks took on the role of Head Coach for the Portland Trail Blazers, where he led the team for four seasons, achieving a 162-139 record and two playoff appearances (2002 and 2003). He returned to the 76ers as Head Coach in 2005, holding the position until 2008 and guiding the team to the 2008 NBA Playoffs.
In 2009, Cheeks joined the Oklahoma City Thunder as an Assistant Coach under Scott Brooks. During his time there, the Thunder reached the playoffs four consecutive times, culminating in an appearance at the 2012 NBA Finals. He also briefly served as Head Coach for the Detroit Pistons before continuing his successful assistant coaching career with the Thunder (2015-20 under Coach Billy Donovan) and the Chicago Bulls (2020-24 under Donovan). In 2024, Cheeks became an Assistant Coach for the New York Knicks under former Head Coach Tom Thibodeau.
“Assistant Coaches usually work behind the scenes and don’t get nearly enough recognition for their contributions to a team’s success. Nevertheless, any Head Coach will assert that Assistant Coaches are crucial to the team’s overall success,” stated David Fogel, Executive Director and General Counsel of the NBCA. “Coach Cheeks’ commitment to educating others and his selfless contributions continue to influence current coaches and players. Congratulations to Mo for this well-earned distinction.”
Over the years, Cheeks has significantly influenced generations of NBA players and coaches, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Larry Brown, Jalen Brunson, Rick Brunson, Billy Cunningham, Chuck Daly, DeMar DeRozan, Billy Donovan, Andre Drummond, Kevin Durant, Derek Fisher, Paul George, Willie Green, James Harden, Andre Iguodala, Allen Iverson, Royal Ivey, Steve Kerr, Zach LaVine, John Lucas, Kevin Ollie, Chris Paul, Scottie Pippen, Zach Randolph, Jerry Stackhouse, Damon Stoudamire, Tom Thibodeau, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rasheed Wallace, Chris Webber, and Russell Westbrook.
During his 29 seasons coaching in the NBA, Cheeks has participated in the playoffs 18 times, won over 50 games on five occasions, and reached the NBA Finals twice. To date, he has coached more than 2,200 NBA games, boasting a record of 1,195-1,079 (.526).
Before turning to coaching, Cheeks was drafted by the 76ers in 1978, where he played 11 of his 15 NBA seasons. He concluded his playing career as a five-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection and a four-time NBA All-Star. At his retirement, Cheeks held the record for most steals in NBA history. He was an integral part of the 76ers’ 1982-83 NBA Championship team and is among the very few players to have his number retired by the franchise. Cheeks was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.
The NBCA Tex Winter Lifetime Impact Award commemorates the extraordinary contributions and dedication of Hall of Famer Tex Winter. Throughout his illustrious NBA coaching career, Winter set benchmarks for innovation, integrity, competitive excellence, loyalty, and the relentless promotion of NBA basketball.
The award is selected by the NBCA Selection Committee annually, consisting of some of the most esteemed coaches and executives in the sport, including Rick Adelman, Hubie Brown, Doug Collins, Wayne Embry, Danny Ferry, Mike Fratello, George Karl, Doc Rivers, Rod Thorn, and Lenny Wilkens.
This year’s nominees featured Assistant Coaches Bob Beyer, Dan Burke, Jeff Bzdelik, Gordon Chiesa, Jim Eyen, Brian Hill, Jim Lynam, Bob McAdoo, Brendan Suhr, Bob Weiss, and John Wetzel.
Past honorees include Hank Egan (2024), Brendan Malone (2023), Ron Adams (2022), Dick Helm (2021), Bill Bertka (2019), Tim Grgurich (2018), Ron Rothstein (2017), and Phil Johnson (2016).
